Reflections on the Life and Writings of Ellen G. White
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Class Overview, EGW and the Title “Prophet”
I must say that so far I am delighted with both the format of the class and the content. I was not sure what to expect at first, but the course is structured well and I enjoy the lectures and discussions. I appreciate the efforts of the teacher to include all students in the discussions by reading their name and specifically asking for their input. The only criticism I have of this is that it tends to get us off track at times. I am just as guilty of this as anybody, and my naturally inquisitive mind often draws the topics off on unrelated tangents. So, I would say that overall it is excellent, but just a little more focus would also help. The discussion regarding the 4 revelations was really helpful. It was relevant, instructive, and well thought out. The nature of the church representing the Word was a new concept to me. I love how much scripture was used to illustrate these points as well. I hope we continue to refer to the Bible on a constant basis as well. If we are to study “the Spirit of Prophecy” in its many forms, we must have a foundation in the scriptures. That doesn’t just mean a surface knowledge of certain texts, but a consistent and holistic understanding of the appropriate messages contained in those texts. This is a big challenge to be sure, but it would be sloppy of us to expect anything less. Herbert Douglass has offered a comprehensive approach to the understanding to the life and ministry of Ellen G. White. While much of the information in this first section is found elsewhere in numerous other books published by SDA’s, it is nice to have it contained in this one volume. I would argue, however, that his main audience is Adventists, as the language and culture that he uses appears to appeal to those who have some basic understandings of our faith. Perhaps this was his intent to begin with…I don’t know. In particular I found his chapter (his introductory chapter) on the writings of EGW to be quite instructive, but widely misunderstood by the bulk of modern Adventists that I know. Not only that, but I would say that many of my Adventist’s associates would have a hard time (if not an impossible time) accepting some of his conclusions. This would include his discussions regarding editors, sources, revisions, and “mistakes” that EGW made. I am concerned about this, but hope and pray that with time, education and open, teachable spirits, this “gap” between the truth and the mysticism can be overcome. On a personal note I would like to share that I have found it very appropriate how EGW shied away from the title of “prophet(ess).” As an illustration: My mother (who is not an Adventist, but is a Pentecostal Christian) is currently visiting us. Of course she asked about my classes and I was a little…shall we say, apprehensive to mention I was taking a Master’s level course on the life of EGW. In addition to this, she has seen me reading the book, which has a picture of EGW and the title “Messenger of the Lord” on the cover. Because of her background it is hard for her to understand how our church can accept EGW as a prophetess, but I prefer to speak of her as a charismatic leader who guided, informed and helped organize our church. I also have no problem sharing that I believe God used her in a special way, etc. but I am loathed to call her a “prophetess” do to the connotations that many evangelicals have with this term. I could say more, but the point is this, I understand how these things can sometimes be complicated. I am glad to be learning more about this though.
Week two was another excellent week in this class. We talked about many things, most of them relevant. One of the things we focused on was the title that Ellen White choose for herself; “Messenger of the Lord.” We looked at how this title was used in scripture and I was especially interested in how it was used in Revelation. In Revelation 19 and 22, John was so overcome with the glory/wisdom/power etc., of the angel (the messenger) that he wanted to worship him. But the angel rebuked John. He told him to worship God only, for he was just a messenger. I can just see Ellen White reading these two passages and choosing this title for herself, knowing that people will be tempted to worship her instead of God. I think that this is exactly what has happened with some Adventists. It was happening in her day as well. I wish this message could be communicated to the lay people in all of our churches. I know that we students can do this one by one, but it seems a more global and determined approach may be possible. Perhaps this has been tried before. I know there are many good books on EGW, but they don’t seem to have the impact needed regarding this issue. Or, they skirt around the issue and don’t come right out and say what needs to be said, “She was just a fallible human messenger!” Of course she was a prophet(ess). Yes, she was used by God. But lest we are tempted to promote her higher than God, or scripture, we must be certain to use her counsels in the very manner she counseled us to use them. I think another challenge, as far the global church, may be fear. I think the church has already suffered many divisions and discords’ concerning many issues (some important, many extraneous). The church may fear that if it “pressed” the matter of the appropriate understanding of EGW, it may spark more strife and division. (I say “pressed” because the church has already made its stance on EGW clear; it just appears that many have missed the message). Another topic we discussed was the biblical nature of the “remnant” and how Israel (and others) fit into that schema. I appreciated the perspective offered. In such a discussion it is inevitable that someone will wonder, “Are we the final remnant?” This is not an easy question to answer. One the one hand scripture does not seem to indicate that there will be multiple phases of “remnants” in the last days. If we are in the last days, then there is only one remnant which will endure until the Second Coming (endure by faith, not by presumption). So we are tempted to answer, “Yes, we are the final remnant.” One the other hand, Israel was also given assurances that they would be the remnant that would usher in God’s kingdom. God promised to be with them “forever.” Yet, because of pride and sin, they abandoned the Lord and God had to open up a new chapter in order to fulfill his plan. The New Testament is a witness to this. Yes, the OT also prophesied that this would happen, but Israel missed those prophecies. So, it is possible then, that Israel today (the church) should it abandon God, as our predecessors did, that God may again begin a new chapter. Thus it is possible that scripture may even reveal such a case, but we are unable to see it. Many possibilities but at the very minimum it should keep us humble. We should never presume upon the Lord’s mercy. He is always able to fulfill his plan with or without us. Hopefully, the majority of us will decide to join Him.
Application Of Theology More Important Than Theology Itself
This week continued our evaluation of Ellen White, but tended to focus more on her understanding of certain theological issues, rather than her specific actions or biography. This is fine, as long as we continue to tie in how she contributed to our understanding of scripture today, and how we are to apply it tomorrow. A full day was spent in discussing the nature and role of the law, specifically the ceremonial law in relation to the cross and contemporary Christian understanding. The text of focus is found in Colossians where Paul refers to something being “nailed to the cross” (Col. 2:14). Of interest to us were the questions: 1) What exactly was Paul referring to, 2) In what way does this theology impact our understanding of the law and, 3) How do we make an application of this teaching today. I found myself puzzled during much of this debate as I had trouble understanding the specific problem we were facing. In other words, whether one understands the law (in any form) was nailed to the cross (or abolished for that matter) is not as much at issue, as is what implications people draw from such conclusions. The specific nature of the text may be ambiguous or difficult to understand and by conjecture we can argue for one interpretation or another, but the beauty of scripture is the how the whole message works together so that harder passages are clarified by clearer. What I mean is this; if a person believes that the moral law was nailed to the cross (or abolished), therefore we may now consciously break the law; I would say they are in error. At the same time if a person believes Paul was not referring to the moral law (or that it was not abolished), therefore concludes that the law saves us, I would again say they are in error. Does that make sense? I more interested in the application of ones theology than the theology itself (but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about theology or have opinions about theology or believe that theology is irrelevant). So, regarding the specific reference in Colossians, I would say that for now, I am more inclined to believe that Paul had the ceremonial law in mind when he referred to the “certificate of debt” being “nailed to the cross.” However, I don’t think even Paul would argue against including the moral law in the statement, in the context in which we discussed. I would even go so far to say that Paul could be specifically referring to the moral law in the previous verse when he remarked that God has, “forgiven us all our transgressions” since sin is a transgression of the moral law. But this would be as subtle reference. The rest of the chapter seems to be ceremonial in language. Paul talks about circumcision, festivals, shadows or symbols, new moon and Sabbath, and food and drink. All of these can be associated with the ceremonial aspect of the law. Again, they are not completely opposed to the principles contained in the moral law, but the language appears to be ceremonial more than moral. Certainly Paul could have used more specific language if he had wanted to refer to the moral law along with the ceremonial. Yet, I am not opposed to, or closed to other interpretations, as long as they do not violate the clear teachings of scripture. I also thought you may be interested to hear how JB Phillips translated Colossians 2:14, back in 1958 (not too far removed from the SDA commentary). He would clearly support your analysis more than mine. “Christ has utterly wiped out the damning evidence of broken laws and commandments which always hung over our heads, and has completely annulled it by nailing it over his own head on the cross” (emphasis mine). Very interesting language!
Kendrick Norman Cid July 15, 2007 The Life and Ministry of EGW Professor: Martin Hanna
MY PERSONAL REFLECTIONS FOR WEEK 1
The Testimony of Jesus Christ and The Spirit of Prophecy The phrase "testimony of Jesus" is first found in Rev. 1:1-3, then 1:9, 12:17, and 19:10. When read in the context of the chain of revelation expressed in Rev 1:1-3, we realize that Revelation gets passed on from God to Jesus (the revelation for Jesus Christ), then from Jesus through his angel to John (the testimony of Jesus), and then from John (John records what he received as “the words of this prophecy) it goes to the people. The testimony is “what John saw” (Rev. 1:2). In Rev 1:1-3 at least, then, the phrase "testimony of Jesus" refers to the visionary experience of John on Patmos by which the essential content of the book of Revelation came to him. One could say that the testimony of Jesus is John's way of expressing the prophetic gift that came to him. The testimony of Jesus represents a spiritual gift, the gift of prophecy, that was restored to the church in the ministry of John, not just the product of that gift, the book itself. In Rev 19:10 the testimony of Jesus is defined as "the spirit of the prophecy.” The testimony of Jesus means “the spirit of prophecy,” the spirit that actuates the gift of prophecy. Comparison of 19:10 with 22:8-9 underlines the association of "testimony of Jesus" with the NT concept of the prophetic gift. I believe that the gift of prophecy has been restored to the church through the prophetic ministry of Ellen G. White. Therefore, the prophetic ministry of Ellen White is the testimony of Jesus in these last days.
Four Revelations There are four revelations of God: Christ, Scripture, Church, and the world. A true understanding of these revelations, however, requires the influence of the Holy Spirit. According to Ellen White, the Holy Spirit is the bringer of all gifts. There is one blessing that all may have who seek for it in the right way. It is the Holy Spirit of God, and this is a blessing that brings all other blessings in its train. If we will come to God as little children, asking for His grace and power and salvation, not for our own uplifting, but that we may bring blessing to those around us, our petitions will not be denied. Then let us study the Word of God that we may know how to take hold of His promises and claim them as our own. First, Jesus Christ was conceived (Luke 1:35), filled, and led by the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the supreme revelation (incarnation) of God: His life, death, resurrection and current ministry in heaven. Second, the inspired writings of Scripture were written as the Holy Spirit moved in people’s hearts (1 Peter 1:19-21). The Scriptures are the only and final standard of faith and practice for they are God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16). “I recommend this book the Word of God,” White said, “as the rule of your faith and practice.” The Bible is the only “standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms.” Third, the church is a letter from Christ sent to the world, “written not with ink bit with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Cor. 2:3). Ellen G. White wrote: The Lord of heaven and earth is the strength of his people. He is the light and life of Every truly converted soul. His Spirit, working with its quickening power, will be recognized by its inspiration, and its abiding influence. Christ our Lord identifies himself with the members of his church. It is this union of the human and the divine that convicts the world. Through the blessed union of those who are sanctified body, soul, and spirit, the truth is magnified. The saints in the church of Christ, every disciple, “is heaven’s appointed channel for the revelation of God to men. Angels of glory wait to communicate through you heaven’s light and power to souls that are ready to perish.” White’s comments seem to line up with Revelation 1:1-3: He is the source of all wisdom; for He placed Himself directly on a level with the eternal God. In His humanity the glory of heavenly illumination fell directly upon Him, and from Him to the world, to be reflected back by all who receive and believe in Him, mingled with His perfection of character and the luster of His own character. Lastly, the cosmos, the world, nature was created by God. “He spoke and it came to be” (Ps. 33:9). “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork” (Ps. 119:1). It is interesting that scientists who have studied the aurora borealis have stated that the northern lights produces sound because where there is light there is sound. The Test of a Prophet Here’s a brief list of the tests of a prophet, four of which are mentioned in class: (1) Does what the prophet predict come to pass? Jeremiah told his contemporaries to use the benchmark of fulfilled predictions as one of the tests of a genuine prophet: “As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent” (Jer. 28:9; Deut 18:22). (2) Do the prophets teaching agree with the Bible? Isaiah noted that genuine prophets will be tested by their faithfulness to previously written revelations: “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isa. 8:20). The inspired Bible is the final standard of any claim to inspiration. (3) Does the prophet practice what he/she preaches? Jesus said that “every good tree bears good fruit” (Mt. 7:17). Is it evident that God is at work in the prophet’s life? Does the gospel mission prosper under his/her guidance? (4) Does the prophet deny the divine-human nature of Jesus Christ? In other words, does the prophet teach the entire truth about the purpose of why Christ came in the flesh? (5) Do the prophet’s physical manifestations correspond to those the biblical prophets experienced? Daniel, for example, experienced a loss of strength but then he was strengthened by an angel, stopped breathing, ability to hear words and to move around while experiencing a sleep-like loss of consciousness. (6) Are the prophet’s massage timely and relevant?
The Testimony of Jesus Christ and The Spirit of Prophecy
The Spirit of prophecy, generally speaking, is God's work through the Holy Spirit who moved in people's hearts and pens to communicate His messages to human beings throughout history.
Jon Paulien writes:
The phrase "testimony of Jesus" is first found in Rev. 1:1-3, then 1:9, 12:17, and 19:10. When read in the context of the chain of revelation expressed in Rev 1:1-3, we realize that Revelation gets passed on from God to Jesus (the revelation for Jesus Christ), then from Jesus through his angel to John (the testimony of Jesus), and then from John (John records what he received as “the words of this prophecy) it goes to the people. The testimony is “what John saw” (Rev. 1:2). In Rev 1:1-3 at least, then, the phrase "testimony of Jesus" refers to the visionary experience of John on Patmos by which the essential content of the book of Revelation came to him. One could say that the testimony of Jesus is John's way of expressing the prophetic gift that came to him. The testimony of Jesus represents a spiritual gift, the gift of prophecy, that was restored to the church in the ministry of John, not just the product of that gift, the book itself. In Rev 19:10 the testimony of Jesus is defined as "the spirit of the prophecy.” The testimony of Jesus means “the spirit of prophecy,” the spirit that actuates the gift of prophecy. Comparison of 19:10 with 22:8-9 underlines the association of "testimony of Jesus" with the NT concept of the prophetic gift.
I believe that the gift of prophecy has been restored to the church through the prophetic ministry of Ellen G. White. Therefore, the prophetic ministry of Ellen White is the testimony of Jesus in these last days.
Four Revelations There are four revelations of God: Christ, Scripture, Church, and the world. A true nderstanding of these revelations, however, requires the influence of the Holy Spirit. According to Ellen White, the Holy Spirit is the bringer of all gifts.
There is one blessing that all may have who seek for it in the right way. It is the Holy Spirit of God, and this is a blessing that brings all other blessings in its train. If we will come to God as little children, asking for His grace and power and salvation, not for our own uplifting, but that we may bring blessing to those around us, our petitions will not be denied. Then let us study the Word of God that we may know how to take hold of His promises and claim them as our own. First, Jesus Christ was conceived (Luke 1:35), filled, and led by the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the supreme revelation (incarnation) of God: His life, death, resurrection and current ministry in heaven. Second, the inspired writings of Scripture were written as the Holy Spirit moved in people’s hearts (1 Peter 1:19-21). The Scriptures are the only and final standard of faith and practice for they are God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16). “I recommend this book the Word of God,” White said, “as the rule of your faith and practice.” The Bible is the only “standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms.” Third, the church is a letter from Christ sent to the world, “written not with ink bit with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Cor. 2:3). Ellen G. White wrote: The Lord of heaven and earth is the strength of his people. He is the light and life of Every truly converted soul. His Spirit, working with its quickening power, will be recognized by its inspiration, and its abiding influence. Christ our Lord identifies himself with the members of his church. It is this union of the human and the divine that convicts the world. Through the blessed union of those who are sanctified body, soul, and spirit, the truth is magnified.
The saints in the church of Christ, every disciple, “is heaven’s appointed channel for the revelation of God to men. Angels of glory wait to communicate through you heaven’s light and power to souls that are ready to perish.” White’s comments seem to line up with Revelation 1:1-3:
He is the source of all wisdom; for He placed Himself directly on a level with the eternal God. In His humanity the glory of heavenly illumination fell directly upon Him, and from Him to the world, to be reflected back by all who receive and believe in Him, mingled with His perfection of character and the luster of His own character. Lastly, the cosmos, the world, nature was created by God. “He spoke and it came to be” (Ps. 33:9). “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork” (Ps. 119:1). It is interesting that scientists who have studied the aurora borealis have stated that the northern lights produces sound because where there is light there is sound.
The Test of a Prophet
Here’s a brief list of the tests of a prophet, four of which are mentioned in class: (1) Does what the prophet predict come to pass? Jeremiah told his contemporaries to use the benchmark of fulfilled predictions as one of the tests of a genuine prophet: “As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent” (Jer. 28:9; Deut 18:22). (2) Do the prophets teaching agree with the Bible? Isaiah noted that genuine prophets will be tested by their faithfulness to previously written revelations: “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isa. 8:20). The inspired Bible is the final standard of any claim to inspiration. (3) Does the prophet practice what he/she preaches? Jesus said that “every good tree bears good fruit” (Mt. 7:17). Is it evident that God is at work in the prophet’s life? Does the gospel mission prosper under his/her guidance? (4) Does the prophet deny the divine-human nature of Jesus Christ? In other words, does the prophet teach the entire truth about the purpose of why Christ came in the flesh? (5) Do the prophet’s physical manifestations correspond to those the biblical prophets experienced? Daniel, for example, experienced a loss of strength but then he was strengthened by an angel, stopped breathing, ability to hear words and to move around while experiencing a sleep-like loss of consciousness. (6) Are the prophet’s massage timely and relevant?
First Impressions and a Sense of Humor- Bryan Laue
I have really looked forward to this class since I have never had a formal class on the life and ministry of Ellen White. While I was pastoring it was this topic that our churches had the most issues with and I longed to have a deeper understanding of her role and ministry. This week has been very interesting both in the discussions in class as well as the reading. I was a lot more drawn to the reading because it talked a lot more about Ellen White, her life and ministry, than to class time. I believe the reason for this is that I already tend to have a big picture approach when looking at the spirit of prophecy and the testimony of Jesus Christ. When I hear spirit of prophecy I hear it in its broad overview of history. The spirit of prophecy has been at work for a long time and has not just now arrived on the scene. Likewise when the spirit of prophecy is equated with the Testimony of Jesus, I do not immediately equate it with the writings of Ellen White. I hear that it is those things which lead us to a clearer understanding of Jesus. In class it was interesting to look at the four revelations and how they interrelate to each other. It is still a temptation to me after hearing the lecture to try to find some other way to illustrate how they interrelate to each other outside a list form. I still would like to have a clearer understanding of how Ellen White’s writings function at the level of illumination but are also taken at the level of inspiration. I see this as a question that will come up when I present this model to my churches. It was very refreshing to point out the danger of people falling so much in love with Ellen White and what she has to say about the subject that they miss Jesus in the midst of all her writings. It is so sad how so many have fallen in love with the things God has designed to bring us closer to him. We must examine our hearts and minds to make sure that there is not some “truth” that we have put before our relationship with our savior and lord. Another important point that was brought up in class was that the idea of being a remnant does not mean that we are better than anyone else. It simply means that we have a special calling and work that God has called us to do. By joining the Seventh-day Adventist Church you are not attaining salvation, but you are joining a movement of people that have dedicated their lives to making disciples and taking the gospel to the rest of the world that needs this “good news” so desperately. There were several parts of the reading that I really enjoyed reading, especially the chapter that dealt with Ellen White’s Self-awareness as a messenger. That chapter really helped to clear up how she saw her role to the general public as well as to the Adventist church. I also enjoyed the chapter “Humor, Common Sense, and a Practical Counselor” that shared areas that is often forgotten, but key to understanding her writings. I have talked to several people that take Ellen White’s writings out of their cultural context and believe that we should take the writings in the same way that they were given. Like when she discouraged buying bikes, they feel that no one should own a bike. They miss the common sense and the sense of practicality of her writings. There were a lot of other areas that were very interesting, but these were to two chapters that really stood out for me. There have been some very interesting discussions this last week and I am looking forward to hearing more on the life and writings of Ellen White.
There was a lot in our reading and in our class this last week that I really enjoyed studying about. I had always heard the claim that Ellen White did not call her self a prophet and it was good to get that claim cleared up. The explanation in class that Ellen White did not promote herself as a prophet, because of the lack of understanding makes a lot of sense. I really like the title she took, “Messenger of the Lord.” Understanding the issues that Ellen White was dealing with the term prophet, makes me wonder how we should promote her in a world that knows little about the role of a prophet. I know that whatever we choose to do we need to keep her role and clear as possible. It was also really helpful to note in the Bible that the prophets back then were misunderstood and were really not appreciated until after they were gone. Another area that I was really interested in the discussion was on the topic of the earthly and heavenly sanctuary. I agree with the argument that in order for something to be symbolic it must in some degree be literal and for something that is literal more often than not there is an element of symbolism. The issue about whether the heavenly sanctuary is literal really gets broken down the question of, “To what degree is the heavenly sanctuary literal?” It was also interesting to look at the message of 1844 in a much broader approach than I have seen done in the past. While this is the mark of the beginning of the judgment of the time of the end, it also points out that God wants us to refocus on what he is doing in the heavenly sanctuary and what he wants to do in our lives. It also point out that God is not quick to judge us, he waits till after people have died or they have whole heartedly chosen one side or the other. God could have past judgment at anytime in the past, but God is a God of love that is not willing that any should perish but that all may come to repentance. In the broader picture there has also been other time of the ends or judgments. There was the flood, at the cross, the time of the judging of the living and you might even look at Jerusalem in 70 A.D. as a time of judgment. Judgment has not just been a thing that happened once in 1844, but God has always had times of judgment scattered throughout history. I believe in general it is really good to get the broader picture of these events and see that they are all part of something bigger and that 1844 is not an isolated event that was just sprung on God’s people. The topic this last week that topped my list of issues that needs some more discussion and some clarification is that of the LAW including both the ceremonial law and Moral law. I agree that when the Bible talks about the Law that it sounds a lot truer to the text to say that it refers to the entirety of the Old Testament. I also see it very clearly laid out in the text Galatians 3, 4, and 5. The thing that I am wrestling with is putting it into my system of theology that I have put together in my mind and look at all the little tweaks that are going to have to be made when approaching some of our Adventist proof texts that we so often use. I am hoping that we will take some time to work through some of these challenges about what does it mean to be under the law or under grace? And what are the implications of each? Our reading in the book, really does not address too many of the issues. It just tells about the situation and if we had not looked at the text it would have been easy to just pass over the section. This was a good week both in lecture and reading and I am looking forward to the discussions that we will be having on the rest of E.G. Whites’ life and ministr
One of the ideas that really stood out this last week for me was that God uses us and institution in spite of the fact that we are imperfect and need to continue to grow. Often we think about people having issues that separate us like: race, gender, economics and other social issues, but these issues also can be found in the church because the church is filled with people. It is ok to admit that our church does have things that it is struggling with and area where there is still need for growth. God is the only one who is faultless and we can rejoice that in spite of our imperfections God is still working with us and through us to reach the world. This last week I was glad that we were able to return to the topic of the law and the issues that surrounded 1888 and righteousness by faith. It was also good to see how the ceremonial law also fits into the picture. I really liked our discussion about how the ceremonial law was not done away with but it was fulfilled, but at the same time that brings up a whole new box of questions about how we are to relate to it. I do know that we are suppose to keep it in spirit, but then what do we do with the feast days which are also elements that point to the ministry and work of Christ? I wonder if it wouldn’t be a very interesting experience to celebrate one of the feast days once a year with your church just to take them back into the lives of the people of Israel and what they experienced during these festivals and examine what they meant the them. In talking about the law and the Sabbath it seem to uncover a lot of the struggles with being judgmental that exist in the church. Because of the way we have related to the moral law and the ceremonial law in the past, one being done away with and the other standing over us. We seem to have made the moral law, specifically the Sabbath commandment, the center of our faith and not Jesus Christ. It has become something that separates us Adventist Christians from those other people that call themselves Christians yet do not follow the moral law of God. This attitude has built up so many boundaries between us and other Christians who really do love God and many who love God just as much as we do. For me this last week was really a wake up call to the judgmental attitude that I have had toward other Christians who do not keep the Sabbath. God has called us to love all people no matter if they believe the same as we do or not. The Bible tells us that the people of the world will know we are Christians by our love and right now I believe that we are in general falling short of that calling. That is why it is so important that we begin to preach not only the Sabbath, but also all the other doctrines not in a judgmental and condemning way, but in a loving and Christ centered manner. There is room for us to grow into the fullness of God’s end time message for us and the world. Another thing that caught my attention this week was how when we really just took the time to study a text in its context we can learn a lot, especially when we take time to ask some good questions about the text. All it takes are a few changes in the presuppositions that we bring to the text in order to change how we use the text and relate to it in the future. This is something that we really need to dive into when dealing with texts that have commonly been use referring only to the ceremonial law, but should include the law in its entirety as it was commonly used by the New Testament writers. I have greatly appreciated all the discussion that has taken part in the class and I can see that without Ellen White this church would be in some serious troubles and would not have made it this far and made such an influence on the world as it has today.
In the beginning…Paper 1 In looking back over the first week I had many different thoughts and emotions that come to mind. I have truly enjoyed the reading in this class and have pulled a lot of inspiration from the life of the Whites. I have always enjoyed studying the life and teaching of the Spirit of Prophecy, but I never read any book about her life like this one. The stories are truly amazing and uplifting to me. On the other hand, I have always been concerned with why the Spirit of Prophecy is viewed in such negative light among some of our other conferences. When talking to many different students about their thoughts of E. G. White, some say they don’t believe in her ministry as a prophet but that she was a good person and a founder of the church, while others say the complete opposite. I ask myself the question repeatedly: “How can the church stay connected with such differing views about the spiritual gifts in our church, and where do these thoughts about Ellen come from?” I have really enjoyed the class and appreciate the insight into the biblical approach in proving the spiritual gift of prophecy. The four types of revelation make sense to me and I am anxious to read the entire article when it is published. I do feel that some of the questions in this class tend to veer off from the topic of E.G.W and move into more of an administrative role than the gift of prophecy but I still find what is said to be valuable information. The reading has been exceptionally good. The book opens up the life of Ellen in a new way for me. I have never read her biography and I suspect this book has much of the same format and style as her bio. I have actually felt like she was writing to me in the book and have been inspired by the struggles and sacrifice that she went through in order to fulfill her calling to the Lord. I can’t help but think of my life and the struggles that I have gone through. When I was going through them they seemed so difficult, like there was no end in sight, but they were small in view of what the Whites had to go through. My prayer is that I have the same strength and faith in Lord, as they did when they were going through trials and difficulties. I would like to have her same want list found on page 72 under Clear Priorities section. The one thing that I noticed is she never asked for anything worldly. She only wanted to please the Lord and to be there with Him. That is true evidence of someone with the right priorities in life. I was also impressed with how frugal the White’s were. Every bit of money they had went to help further the ministry which caused them to live extremely poor. By the sound of that chapter they could have had a life of money and wealth but chose to follow the call of the Lord over worldly wealth. That truly is awesome. When it is all said and done, they were much like any other family that had high points and low points in their marriage. The job pulled them away from each other and their children for long periods of time; they had disputes as husband and wife, and were exhausted by the rigorist labor of the different speaking engagements they had to attend. There was much more they did but the main point is they didn’t have a problem admitting their faults and openly communicating with each other to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Ellen loved James tremendously and took care of him when he needed her help and sometimes had to give him tough love in order to get him well, but in the end they truly loved each other. Ellen made a statement that I think expressed her respect for him. She said James “was the best man to ever wear shoe leather.”
To Be or Not To Be… Paper 2 This was an interesting week for me in this class. I say this because the lecture you presented on the Sanctuary was something that I have never heard before. What I find when this happens is that I get a greater desire to read and learn more about the topics because I find myself ignorant of the issues. There are two topics that I would like to discuss in this paper. Why do we have such a problem understanding core beliefs in the Adventist church, and what should we do as a church to address them with conclusions to problematic issue? I have struggled with the question of disunity over doctrine in the world church ever since I was placed in a leadership position in my local church. It amazes me that the church can continue to grow with so many presenting their own feelings, beliefs, and thoughts on the interpretation of the Adventist doctrine. I say this because I was involved in a small group where the leader presented his whole theology based from allegorizing his thoughts on the scriptures. It was painful because I was watching the other members of the group getting excited about what he was saying and agreeing with him on unbiblical process of interpretation. I would attempt to ask questions that I thought would trigger some further discussion from the Bible, but without success. I left there discouraged on many occasions, wishing that I could have broken through an allegorical mindset and hear what the scriptures where actually trying to reveal to us. The group finally came to a close, and as a result, a family that was attending began to water down what the scriptures have taught us and have taken out the relationship with Jesus in our doctrine. This frustrated me. The Lord wants his people to take a stand and not be tossed to and fro on every wave of doctrine. He wants our yes to be yes and our no to be no; so how is it that one feels they can wonder all over the place and avoid the main issue? In Revelation, the Bible tells us the Lord will vomit out those who are lukewarm and that He would rather us be hot or cold. It just seems to me that we are beginning to be so concerned with what our Evangelicals think of us and proving that our mission is right and true that we are leaving what our true calling has been from the beginning. We are Seventh Day Adventists. We have a strong heritage and a saving message for the world. We are supposed to be the head, not the tail, when it comes to leading people to Christ and knowledge of scriptures. Sometimes I wonder if we believe this. Many of the books that we use in Seminary are written by Catholic, or Evangelicals, but little attention is given to the powerful message of Ellen White. I don’t want to come across as a mean conservative, because I’m not, but I would like to portray a concerned Adventist. We must grasp a hold of what is true to scripture and preach it day and night not being afraid of the consequences one may face because they stood for truth. When I say this I can’t help but think of our great reformers and the adversity they went through in order to deliver the truth to the people. On the other hand, I know how painful it is to change and that new light must be tested intensely before it is exposed to the people. It must be brought in gradually and not slammed on them from the pulpit. We, as a church of the Word of God, should always be moving forward through scripture, as it has messages for us in each stage of our lives and the movement of the church. We must be able to explore them and change if needed, but once the change is completed- make a stand. Let us not have fractions of people believing whatever they want. This stimulates an east verses west mentality and discredits all of the truths God has given to us. Now what? What should be done to stop this entirely disruptive, “jack rabbit teaching” that is going on in our church? We must be solidified as one. There is no room for individualistic renegades to propagate messages of separation that rip the flock of the Lord apart. How do we stop this? God’s word must be given to all peoples, nations and tongues; let’s focus on this task instead of deciding on whether the Sanctuary is relevant for today. Let us not miss out on the promised latter rain the Lord has for us.
Moral Law and Ceremonial Laws…Paper 3 This week was another interesting week. I especially was intrigued with the lecture that discussed the Moral law and the ceremonial law. I have grown up understanding the ceremonial law was nailed to the cross. In fact, the specific portion of the law that was nailed to the cross was the sacrificial system, because Jesus is the lamb who took away the sins of the world. I would like to go over my thinking and see what your thoughts are. I believe we may be saying the same thing but coming at it from two different sides. The ceremonial law was written with the pen of Moses and included everything from health laws to civil laws, as well as, the sacrificial requirements that were ordinates which covered the how to perform the sacrifices and what animals would be used for each sacrifice. I understand that each of these sacrificial ordinates all gave examples of the mission of Christ, His work of salvation in their lives, and because Jesus, who is the Messiah, was to be slain like a lamb on the cross. This sets the example that all are saved by the blood of Jesus. In handling the difficult bible texts like Col. 2:14 or Rom. 14 It has been my experience that these verses were accepted by those I gave bible studies to relatively easy. I believe that you mentioned in class that the main principle of Rom 14 is for others not to judge anyone for anything they do or eat, and I completely agree with that, but I think the text points out some other interest points as well. It appears that the text is talking about the ceremonial feast days, and health principles that are found in the ordinances that Moses wrote in the Book of the Law. It appears that the context of the scriptures is based from the ceremonial law. I believe this demonstrates to the readers that since the ceremonial law was fulfilled and nailed on the cross it was not a concern anymore due to the fact that the Jews lost the entire meaning of what the sacrificial law was intended to teach. In regards to Col 2: 13-17, judging seems to be at the core of the text as well, but the context again follows suit with the ceremonial laws that where written in the book by Moses hand. The text clarifies it even more by the statement in verse 13 “…wiped out the laws that was against us”. This is a verse of distinction that contrasts the characteristics of a law or a portion of the law that has been completed with the sacrifice of Jesus. Deut.31:24-26 tells us that when Moses finished writing the book of the law he told the priests to take the book and place it beside the Ark of the Covenant that it might be a witness against you. The words “against you…” that are found in Col. 2:13-17 seem to be talking about the same context of scripture. The law then in question is the sacrificial laws found in the ceremonial laws and their relevance for us today. These bible texts seem to clearly point out the context of the two difficult bible texts that are mention above, so I must conclude that the ceremonial law has been nailed to the cross. When examining the writings of E.G. White she uses words straight from the sanctuary to describe what type of laws had been abolished. So where does that leave the Moral law or 10 Commandments. I feel that Christ fulfilled the Spirit of the Law but the Law endures forever. The Law is the reason why Christ had to come and save us, so it is still relevant for us today. My concern is if Adventists present this message without completely understanding what they are saying and why they are saying it they will appear to water down the message all together. It does matter what day we worship, we do not have to Judge anyone about that, but it does matter; otherwise, we can stop having Evangelistic meetings because everything and everybody is going to be all right and our message is not needed. This may come off as an extreme but like I heard in class Jesus talked in extremes to create a balance. In looking at the context of the bible at a whole I can’t leave out that the book of Revelations message is based on worship, I feel that if the context of these message changes, by changing the meaning and relevance of the Moral laws, we may as well stay in Babylon.
THE BIBLE AND BIBLE ALONE (SOLA SCRIPTULA) Since I come from a region that has faced numerous extreme teachings regarding the spirit of prophecy I now understand the baseline of the true spirit of prophecy which must be based only in the Bible which illuminates the proper message of the times of prophecy. The Bible clearly explains itself regarding this subject and during our discussion the Holy Scriptures I was able to deduce who are a true prophet and the role of the spirit of prophecy. The message in the writing of prophets should be Christ centered at all times. The Bible gives us much information on how to tell what is a true prophet and how to tell if a prophet is false. For instance Isaiah 8:20 states “"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them”. This implies that a true prophet must always use the as a guide to the true prophecy and harmony should prevail at least. Likewise all prophecies should be fulfilled as the Deuteronomy 18:22 put it “If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him”. This also require the prophecies to be exact and to the point. The two verses provide an insight that originates from God who does not require our efforts to tell people what is coming in the future. So Mrs. White qualifies to be a true prophetess of God who was given the message regarding all issues but we should not use her books above the Bible to avoid fanaticism like what happened in our region where people avoided the Bible and resorted to her books which ended up in total confusion with a number deserting the church. Furthermore in the New Testament Jesus Christ is portrayed as the source that illuminates those who are willing to be lead by the Holy Spirit to reveal more of God than mere speculations which are meant to scare people. Again you shall know these prophets by their fruits as Mathew 7:20 sums it up, and Galatians 5:22 lists the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This in turn explains why Mrs. White is regarded as extra Biblical prophet because her activities were Holy Spirit lead with much revelation from Jesus Christ which is lacking in most self proclaimed prophet and she never proclaimed to be one but preferred to be called a messenger of the Lord. Another aspect that thrilled my mind is the spirit of prophecy which is the testimony of Christ is the identifying mark of the remnant church who have opened the gates for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. As God chose the Israelites from among the nations for a special purpose so the remnant are also chosen as a special people for specific purpose which includes upholding the law of God and the spirit of prophecy. So the Bible (the law and testimony) is our guide for judging who is a true prophet. A real prophet will say things that will come to pass and he will lead you to worship the true God. The bible then remains our source of inspiration to know more of Jesus Christ as He leads as others follow.
THE SANCTUARY AND THE LAW Although the topic does not depict the proper relationship of the two doctrinal issues but to some extend they are much related and that is why they cropped in during the week. You can not talk about the sanctuary and fail to mention the guiding principles in it that is the Law. The sanctuary was first constructed with the instructions given by God himself where the Ark of the Covenant was placed in it with the law inside. In the light of our discussions I discovered that the sanctuary is both literal and symbolic. In the literal sense Moses was given direct instructions on how to make a sanctuary for the Lord. Exodus 25:8-9 clearly sates as “And let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show thee, the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the furniture”. This then implies the sanctuary was real there and all instructions as pertains its usage were clearly spelled. All the rituals and sacrifices were done physically hence literal. At the same time it was God’s dwelling place among His people (Exodus12:17). On the other hand it is symbolic since “We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man” (Hebrews 8:2). Here the Lord has made a sanctuary in heaven where man has not participated in constructing but Christ is the high priest ministering on our behalf because we are not worthy to sit in that throne of mercy. Although this issue has generated a lot of controversy regarding whether symbolic or literal, Sister White has shade the following light that the term "sanctuary," as used in the Bible, refers, first, to the tabernacle built by Moses, as a pattern of heavenly things; and, secondly, to the "true tabernacle" in heaven, to which the earthly sanctuary pointed. At the death of Christ the typical service ended. The "true tabernacle" in heaven is the sanctuary of the new covenant. And as the prophecy of Daniel 8:14 is fulfilled in this dispensation, the sanctuary to which it refers must be the sanctuary of the new covenant. At the termination of the 2300 days, in 1844, there had been no sanctuary on earth for many centuries. Thus the prophecy, "Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed," unquestionably points to the sanctuary in heaven (GC 417). Another issue is now concerning the law and which laws are we supposed to follow now since there are ceremonial laws or natural laws and moral laws. Should we follow all or neither? I discovered again that man will want to choose the law that is convenient to a specific situation and after that he forgets about it. I think the Israelites were given all these laws to have a good relationship with God and themselves and since they were good to them so to us today. But to what extend have we respected the moral laws especially today, we have failed and simply avoided to dwell in it since we assume that the grace of God is sufficient to us all. In spite of the much confusion we are in now we therefore need the spirit of prophecy to shade more light on the subject. Sister White has stated that the law is an expression of the thought of God; when received in Christ, it becomes our thought. It lifts us above the power of natural desires and tendencies, above temptations that lead to sin. God desires us to be happy, and He gave us the precepts of the law that in obeying them we might have joy (DA 307,308). So if we follow the spirit of prophecy then we will delight in the law as Romans 7:22 asserts hence no burden at all.
THE CHALLENGE NOW The plan of salvation was established by God even before the creation of the world but chosen race has denied the existence of the Savior and His work. Then who is now supposed to carry on the task to the world and proclaim the everlasting gospel to the entire world. God has chosen the remnant church to carry on the task but it appears we are not yet ready for the challenge since we have been influenced by the world to change. But should we follow them? Our discussion revealed several aspects which entirely poses a challenge now. As a church we are supposed to show a good example to others in terms of oneness the world to copy since Galatians 3: 28 states that there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. This is the same unity that is emphasized today so that things that divide like race, equality and gender will no more but Christ is the role model who should remain at the center at all times to prevent the devil to take charge. The benefit of unity is exemplified by Ellen White also that when we are securely anchored in Christ, we have a power that no human being can take from us. Because we are partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust, partakers of the nature of Him who came to this earth clothed with the habiliments of humanity, that He might stand at the head of the human race and develop a character that was without spot or stain of sin. (Testimonies for the Church V. 9 page 187) Likewise when there is unity in the church then we shall embrace the diversity of spiritual gifts in the church without any prejudice. Here we discovered that speaking in tongues will not be for the glory of the individual but for the entire church to entice more for Christ. Also other gifts will work for the glory of God as Ellen white did with her gift of public speaking without modern equipments. Another interesting area was based on the law. Should we discard it since the grace of God is sufficient? No way but should realize that the law is still valid and workable for those who are ready to spread the true gospel of Christ hence a strong relationship between the law and the gospel. Ellen White confirms this idea that no man can rightly present the law of God without the gospel, or the gospel without the law. The law is the gospel embodied, and the gospel is the law unfolded. The law is the root; the gospel is the fragrant blossom and fruit which it bears. (Christ Object lessons page 128). Clearly it can be seen that the church needs to wake up and stand firm so that the may not get a chance to divide it more. The Bible has shade more light in the unity of the church and its significance which requires us to be serious to avoid negatives portrayed by the unconverted people who claim to have the right message to the world. On top of this we have the privilege of being enlightened by the writings of Ellen G. White who has reinforced what the Bible says regarding the unity of the church in the spread of the gospel truth to the very end. We therefore have a challenge to perform our very best so the world may know Christ as redeemer who came to fulfill what was already established before the foundation of the world. His nature has not changed to date.
The Great Controversy is such a great blessing to the theology of our church. Many issues that other denominations wrestle with are very easily explained within the concept of this thought. Many publishers today are printing books on the ethics of evil. All kinds of different assumptions then are drawn about God and his nature. Often I find that illogical conclusions are used in order to explain the suffering and pain around us. At times I also wonder if the explanations are even any comfort to those that are going through the trial times. This is where the Great Controversy makes life so easy for us. It explains issues like origin of evil, reason for our existence, how we even cease to exist, and what happens to us when we die. These questions are some that every human being wrestles with, regardless if they are claiming to be religious or not. Another good point in this reading was in the section on defining the issues that are involved between the liberals and conservative. It was so interesting to see how each side has its benefits and downfalls. It was characterized so well. It reminds me that it is so easy to at times be on the one side or the opposite, but to hit the middle road is so incredibly hard. Though I have realized how important the idea of the Great Controversy is, after reading this section I realized that there is so much more than I had not thought about it. The GC is so big and it is so immense that is covers so many other type of issues.
One of the things that I enjoyed a lot in class was the idea about the law and the lack of it. It is a hard issue to wrap ones head around. It seems as humans we want to have certainty and we want to see things in a black and white view. It is easier to just say this is right or wrong. To have absolute makes it easier. There is less thinking involved and it does not require reevaluating every situation. I think especially for myself I want to philosophy about the issues that I want to find an excuse for and then for the ones I am “enlightened” about I have absolute truth. So in that case I hold the understanding to a certain subject and in the uncertainty or problems cases I just use rationalism. This is something that really frustrates me personally because in my own life I find that I can be either. Many examples come to mind where I have either justified something or I have held to a view so strongly that is does not leave any room for anyone else. And that makes me internally sad. Yet at the same time, this idea gives me a glimpse of my inadequacy. At times I think it is really important to be humbled and to remember that we are not perfect and that there is so much more to be learned. I think for myself I will add to my early morning prayer the idea that I need to be more open to challenging my thoughts daily.
I particularly enjoyed the section on “Delivering God’s Message.” Often times it seems we grow up and in our Christian thought and thinking we come up with just one way that God communicates with us. One of the reasons why I have enjoyed the reading so much is because so often in my own thinking I get stuck that God has to communicate in the way that I think is necessary. Instead of allowing God to use all kinds of different communication methods, we often limit him to one particular way. So just in the same way that Ellen White received her visions and messages through different ways, so it is with us today. God will take whatever method and we can be sure that he will communicate with us if we are willing to listen to him through whatever methods he might use. In the next section “The Listening Messenger” I found it interesting to see how Ellen White remembered how she remembered and wrote down her visions. Again this is a section where preconceived ideas seem to exist. When dealing with the idea of how inspiration takes place, I think most people think that the prophet sits at a table and just either during or after their vision and writes the entire event or message down. It was interesting to read that Ellen White did not write down everything at once. Instead she wrote down the pieces that she remembered. To some extend I find that really interesting and rewarding. To some extend that makes the idea of inspiration easier in my head. Not necessarily with writing down visions, but with other materials. Often you wonder why is something inspired and why is other stuff not inspired. What gives me comfort is the fact that in this process of writing down material in process it seems to me that guidance can come from God. It reminds me a little of growth process. Some things take time to develop.
Something that I have enjoyed about the lecture last week was in conjunction to the Appendix P. I think it is interesting that truth is often understood and misunderstood as just one point not in a circle but instead in an ellipse. Truth is more complex than just one absolute and radical idea. I think Herbert Douglas discussed this topic very well in his appendix. The discussions that we had in our class also helped with understanding better the idea that some simple concepts that we believe in are perhaps not as simple as they initially appear. The simple answers we throw at people often do not work. There is more to it than what we often allow ourselves to think of. I think that often we are preconceived in our own thinking and limited to that. And because this is such an important issue that often gets neglected I think it is important to think of it. I know for myself I often get stuck in a certain frame of mind that hinders me to see from another perspective. But when it comes to theology I think it is important to see the holistic view point, other wise it is very easy to fall either to the left or the right.
Title: What is Prophet Si On Sung Reaction Paper #1
This is the first time I am taking a class about the life of Ellen White, and her ministry. When I first heard the name of this class, it gave me impression that from the first class to the end of the class, all I am going to hear is about Ellen White. However, during the first week of the class, we have barely touched the life of Ellen White, but rather we have learned and set the basic foundation of what the prophet is all about. It was very helpful for me to learn the basic meaning and the definition of what the prophet is, because I was born in Seventh-day Adventist family and I heard a lot of quotation from Ellen White’s writings and often it gave me a negative impression of her. As a Seventh-day Adventist, we respect Ellen White as a gifted prophet from God, but I learned that the gift of prophecy is not limited to Ellen White in modern era. Scripture is the inspiration, and the church is the illumination. Therefore, anyone in the church can illuminate the Word of God, and if the church is the illumination, everyone is supposed to illuminate the Word of God. Of course, that does not mean that we all have to tell what is going to happen in the future, nor we will degrade the work of Ellen White, but we must have something to tell the world that they need to hear. It was interesting to learn that church is not for salvation, but for the mission. Therefore, everybody in the church has mission to accomplish. I have learned that we all can be a prophet who brings biblical, and Christ centered messages that is relevant to the world. Since this paper is to reflect on the class lecture, I want to mention one question that came to my mind during the first week of the class. The question was “what is miracle?” We learned that nature is the content which we live in. I know that Bible contains laws that we must follow, but nature also has laws that we are confined to. Human are suppose to follow the laws whether it is biblical laws or natural laws and if we don’t, we are suppose to be in troubles. However, there is something that goes against the natural laws which we call miracles. When we human are suppose to live under the law, often we ask God for miracles which goes against the laws.
In this reflection I will share some of my thoughts that have come to me in class experience and outside reading. In class discussion we talked about the remnant church and its characteristics. I have always wrestled with how we tie Ellen G. White’s ministry with the “testimony of Jesus Christ” and the “spirit of prophecy” found in Revelation 12:17 and Revelation 19:10. As I reflect don’t take my words as a gospel or as something I concretely believe to be true. I am not settled with my views as being the absolute truth, but am open to discovering and learning. In class it was made clearer to me in that the prophets have preached Christ (the Testimony of Christ), which is the spirit of prophecy. When I read this I think of the Christ being the central theme of the Bible and all that the prophets wrote have this spirit or spiritual theme. To say the Adventist church is the remnant because it has a prophet is to read to much into these text in my opinion. At times I feel that we have conveniently titled her works as being the “Spirit of Prophecy”, therefore we are the remnant. I see Revelation 12:17 and 19:10 saying something much bigger than the ministry of Ellen G. White. I don’t think it is speaking of her work alone as we often portray from the pulpit, but of all the Prophets of the Bible who pointed and testified to Christ work and ministry as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. So the remnant is not a denomination who declares to have a prophet, and keep the commandments of God. The remnant is group of people who keep the commandments, and have the scriptures which that testify of Jesus Christ. So, having Ellen White doesn’t make us “The” remnant, but having the scriptures does. This means to me personally that the remnant is not a denomination but any individual believer who holds the Bible as the rule of faith and practice (Commandment keeping included). Reading the Messenger of The Lord by Herbert Douglass for the second time has been a nice review of the history and personal life of Ellen G. White. On page 54 there is two letters that Ellen wrote, the first she speaks strong words toward her husband, and the second is her apology to the first. It is comforting to read that Ellen White was human and shared her feelings and even had to asked forgiveness. I have always had the idea that a prophet had to be perfect and spotless to be representative of God, but this is not the case, God could even select me to be His messenger. The next item of interest in my reading was to see all the hardship Ellen White went through. She lost to sons in their early ages, and she herself battled many ailments. Seeing her compassion for her husband in sickness, and encouragement to him is a nice revelation. She really wished her husband wouldn’t work so hard, and would take sometime in doing recreation, a lesson all pastor should follow (56). I wish there were audio recordings of Ellen G. Whites sermons, so that I could hear her style and passion in her words. Ellen White shared how the devil would increase his attacks when she was about to speak at the pulpit. She said she would not listen to her feelings, but would move forward and “hang her helpless soul” on Christ. I find encouragement is this that even Ellen White had feelings of weakness, and needed to rest her fears upon Christ. She in her early age struggled with a fearsome picture of God, but than discovered a compassionate God. Ellen Whites personal journey in discovering who God is became a underlying theme in her ministry. Her writings have taken on the mission to unmask Satan as the source of pain and suffering and God as redeemer and friend. Revealing the true picture/character of God is the mission that we all are called to proclaim in our words and in our lives as well. Ellen Whites writings is a good source to find wonderful pictures of our God and Savior. Reading her personal letters have been a blessing to me, as I get to know the one who had the greatest influence on the Adventist movement.
Title: Understanding the Whole Context Si On Sung Reaction Paper #2
As we have learned in the class, Ellen White was a messenger from the Lord. However, that did not mean that she was a super-woman as the textbook mentioned. She had her own struggles in her life and sometimes she made mistakes. She wasn’t a perfect woman, and in fact, her body was weaker than ordinary people. When she was young, her brain was damaged severely and left her fatal wounds. Her eyes were damaged, she got seizure disorder, and years later, she wrenched her ankle which cost her rheumatism. Her unhealthy body constantly bothered her until her death. Even though, her body wasn’t free of pain, she was fully blessed by God, and through the love of God, she was able to see the true character of God. When she realized the grace and love of God though the Bible, she was able to have dynamic relationship with the Lord as a friend. People argue and fight for their doctrines of the Bible throughout the history, and we still do. Unfortunately, people often take out one quote from the Bible and make a doctrine out of it, without understanding the whole contents. In the class, I learned the importance of understanding the whole context. Often, we argue who is right, rather it is literal or symbolic, and rather it is O.K. to do it or not. However, when we understand the whole context, we can see in many times that it is both. It is both literal and symbolic, it is O.K. and not O.K. depending on the situation. The Bible cannot contradict to itself, because everything in the Bible is written through the Holy Spirit. It was same for the Great Disappointment in 1844. The interpretation of William Miller was both right and wrong. Majority of people blamed Miller, because he made a mistake, and other went to wrong direction because they kept believed that Miller was absolutely right. I am glad and praise the Lord, because He preserved and guided the remnant to keep the truth that Miller found and at the same time to correct the mistake he made. It is always important to not judge anything too fast, because it will lead to one extreme or to the other extreme. With the guidance of God, we always have to be careful how we decide and act, because I see that in many cases, things contain both aspects.
As we have discussed in the class about the Sabbath issue, it is hard to draw a clear line to distinguish what we can do and what we cannot do on the Sabbath. As I was reading the book, same concept was applied to the 7th commandment. Ellen White had reproved a minister for breaking the 7th commandment, but this minister did not have committed any adulterous acts. W. C. White explained to him that it is hard for human to distinguish the clear line, and often we simply judge by the appearance and acts that can be seen with eyes, but God looks through our hearts. I believe that if we are faithful to the Scripture and pray sincerely to follow the truth, Holy Spirit will guide our hearts to the right way. Therefore, even though I attend church every Sabbath, pay all my tithe, and I appear to be faithful church member to the others, if I my hear is not facing toward God, I realized that everything is vain in the eyes of God. As I was reading the book, I have learned that even the prophet can make a mistake. When she gave wrong advises to General Conference, she was corrected by the vision. Prophets also grow and learn as other believers do. Prophets are merely human being and they are not God. We are endlessly learning, and there is no end to become like Christ. When I was in undergraduate student in college, I thought that studying would be over in few years when I finish my undergraduate program. However, more and more I learn, I realize that there is more to learn. Therefore, as we come closer to Christ, we can see that we are nothing and we must humble ourselves. We know from the statement from Ellen White that God spoke to His people though prophets and apostles in ancient time. In nowadays, however, He speaks to us through the testimonies of Holy Spirit. Therefore, Ellen White’s vision was only to lead and confirm to the truth of the Bible. She even mentioned that her “Testimonies” was unnecessary if everyone seek and live according to the Bible standard and make His Word into their lives. Therefore, Bible must be our only infallible truth and correction must be made according to the Bible, even to the people whom we consider to be a prophet.
Class Discussion Reflection: My journey with the Spirit of Prophecy first began in 1998 when I read Steps to Christ on a mission trip. Since than I have read Desire of Ages, Great Controversy, Christ Object Lesson, Evangelism, The Sanctified Life, Last Day Events, and Gospel Workers. Our class discussion on Ellen White calling herself a messenger of the Lord, struck a cord with me. I do believe she is a prophet or a messenger from God for our last days. But there is another side in me makes we cringe when I hear other people say it publicly. The connotation of the name Prophet in our day is very negative. When someone says prophet, we think of a false prophet, fanaticism, on the fringe, and unbiblical. I just watched a movie this past Sabbath on the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah was given a message of warning to give to the King and his people to repent. When they did not, Babylon moved in surrounding the city, Jeremiah than told them to surrender to the Babylonians, which they refused to their destruction. My appreciation for the prophet’s work and the sacrifices they have to make to carry it out has grown. From my readings of Ellen White I see her as a balance prophet when taken in her full context. The danger I see is when we play prophet by taking her writings and applying them to a person, situation, and say, “thus saith the Lord” when He has not spoken. The second subject that I would like to reflect on is that of the Judgment discussed in class. We came to the conclusion that the judgment began for the dead, starting with Adam in 1844. We can speculate till Jesus comes, where Christ might be in His judgment process. Has He started with the living yet? I was doing the math, there is about 200,000 human born each day, 1,400,000 per week, 5,600,000 million per month, and 67,200,000 million per year. So the judgment of the living appears to be problematic. But this may not be the case, Christ could speed up His judgment by allowing humans to set up their Sunday laws, which would create the final testing truth for the world. The inhabitant of the earth would have to decide, will I serve man’s decrees, or the Creator. So, is it the judgment the reason Christ hasn’t return? Or is He waiting for a 144,000 to truly reflect His character? Or is He waiting for us to wake up and preach the gospel with compassion and commitment? Why not take the holistic view, and say all three! I can agree with that. Book Reading Reflection: I found it quite enlightening that Ellen White believed in being tactful by revising some of her books to be more public friendly. She did not want the style of writing or the wording to discourage the reader, so she saw it fit to change the wording to win rather offend (such as the revision with the books Great Controversy and Education). This is a great lesson for anyone who needs to communicate the gospel in the public arena. We need not put on billboards the Pope is the Anti Christ, brought to you by your friends the Adventist. We can be tactful by meeting with people individually, and than laying out all the characteristics of the beast power, than share history, and allow them come to their own conclusions. People do much better coming to truth on their own, than being force. I find it fascinating that God would give Ellen White a vision of astronomy of her time, which would be incorrect in our present day, so that it would encourage Joseph Bates a amateur astronomer to believe in her prophetic gift. Herbert Douglass says that if she were to reveal what we see with our present day telescopes, Bates would of declared her to be a fraud. Wow! Even history found in the Great Controversy has been proven to be inaccurate by Adventist historians. Could it be that God gave her broad outlines of the Great Controversy or astronomy, and she was to fill in the brush strokes with the history and knowledge of her day. And are we as believers today not to look at the minute details, but the principles and lesson we can learn from the “whole” picture? I am comfortable with seeing her astronomy and history writing in this light. What about her books such as the conflict series, such as the book Desire of Ages? What if she was using commentators of her day to make a point? For this reason, I don’t think we can use her writings to make a doctrinal position for the church, but the Bible alone. We always have to keep the big picture in mind when reading her writings, and even the Bible. I am learning more each day that a holistic approach is the safest route to take.
Class Discussion Reflection: In class we spent significant time discussing the law mention in Galatians 3:24-25, as being both the ceremonial and the Ten Commandments. We concurred that this was both laws, and that brought us to the awareness that we are in need of Christ righteousness to be justified. But verse 25 goes on to say that we are no longer under the law, but under Christ. I think we are no longer under the condemnation of the law, but it requirements of obedience are still binding upon us. Jesus abolished the consequences (condemnation) of the Law that we deserved in His flesh, so that we who believe can stand as new creature in peace with God (Ephesians 2:15). We discussed the idea of the both ceremonial and the Decalogue was not nailed to the cross in Colossians 2:14, but our transgression in the written record was. This would make both the ceremonial and the Decalogue still binding upon us. This idea kind of confuses me, and makes me feel even more burden as believer. The Decalogue makes rational sense for me to keep, but most of the ceremonial laws and traditions that were a shadow pointing to Christ as their fulfillment do not. So what do we do with the ceremonial law? I feel more comfortable with the traditional way of interpreting this verse with having only the ceremonial law being nailed to cross. As the veil was ripped from top to bottom and the sacrificial lamb running away, signifies to me a new way to God, through the merits and death of Christ, putting to end the ceremonial practices. In some cases what wasn’t done away with at the cross was modified by Jesus setting up a new custom to take place the old ones. For example Jesus set up a new Passover ceremony called the Lords supper, which points to His body broken, and blood spilled out for our redemption. Some might ask what about the Leviticus health laws, are they nailed to the cross with the ceremonial laws? I think we can separate these from the ceremonial laws, because they have their beginning in Genesis flood story. Plus, God is interested in our health, and His health principles have been proven scientifically to be the best way to live.
Book Reading Reflection: In chapter 22 of The Messenger of the Lord, Herbert Douglas shares how Ellen White always wrote with the Great Controversy theme in mind. On what ever subject Ellen White wrote on, weather it was theological, principles in education, health, mission, and social issues, the Great Controversy theme was in its core. She painted in broad sweep the history of redemption by beginning with war in heaven, creation, God’s chosen people, Christ rejection and death, His church expansion and reformation, and a remnant being called out for the last days mission in her Conflict Series. This series not only unmasked Satan as the author of evil, but reveals the true character of a loving God deeply concerned about saving every child of the human race. I find it simply trilling that the majority of her written work with the Great Controversy theme in mind was written to prepare a last day people to give a warning cry of Christ second coming, and a message that transforms the body, mind, and soul for translation. Douglas points out that Ellen White beautifully unites two truths that cannot be truth unless they have a relationship with each other. Such as the law and grace, Christ redeemer and ruler, God’s work and man’s work in salvation, and the relationship between repentance and transformation. I found it interesting that we only find ourselves in trouble when we imbalance truth by putting more weight on one item of truth than the other. For example if we focus too much on grace with out the law, we have people thinking that they can be saved without ever having to be obedient to God. On the other hand if we were to focus on the law without grace, than we would have a legalism that would cause despondency among all believers. What a fine example of being holistic in creating doctrine. I also found it to be a blessing to see that Ellen White was not perfect, but she too had to give up her views, her way of life, diet, as the Lord revealed new truth to her in vision. Five years before her vision of 1863, Ellen White didn’t feel that the Lord wanted the movement to stop eating swine flesh, but the Leviticus laws were nailed to the cross. And she made a profound statement, “He will teach His church their duty… I saw that the angels of the God would lead His people no faster than they could receive and act upon the important truths that are communicated to them” (Testimony to the Church Vol.1, pg 206-7). God waited for the Adventist church to organize under the General Conference before giving Ellen White her health reform vision, so that the church would be first in unity of spirit and in harmony on doctrine. I find this profound in how God deals with mankind, He doesn’t want to give us a information over load, but want to reveal truth to us slowly so that we don’t get burden and over whelmed. I see a valuable lesson here that we can apply to our modern day evangelism. If God can wait five years to tell Ellen White to give up swine flesh so that she doesn’t get over whelmed, than why can’t we wait a few years before requiring new believers to accept this truth. I think it is kind of over whelming to hear truth preached in a evangelistic meeting in 18 nights that came to us as a church in a 80 year time span. And than expect all attendance to gladly accept the truth. And if they don’t, we cast them aside as lost, and move on to new territory. What if we did evangelism like God would to a friend. First share the simple gospel of Jesus, and all the Christ centered Doctrine that is needed to develop a relationship with Him. Than we would allow them time accept Christ as their Savior, and than Baptize them. I believe we could leave out the health message as a requirement to join Christ’s church. We would continue to build a friendship by plugging them in to a small group to build them up in Christ. The health message will be taught to them, but we allow time for them to make that lifestyle change on God’s time. I feel that is many evangelistic meeting we throw all this wonderful truth on people’s shoulders; over load them; play Holy Spirit to convict them; and if they don’t accept it in our three week time line, we close probation for them, and judge them as lost and move onto our next “crusade”. I think we can learn a lot from how God has dealt with His people in the past, and practice the same kind of mercy, and patience He did to each other. Why do we end friendship when people don’t accept all our truths. Why not continue our friendship and love them. Let the Holy Spirit bring the conviction, for where there is breath there is always time for spiritual growth.
One of my favorites chapters was chapter V. I found it so interesting because much of the information was new to me and I saw a side of Ellen White that was very different. This chapter made her really human, not that I thought of her as that different. But often it seems that prophets and people we look up to, do not suffer the same problems that we do. So to see a letter dialogue between James and Ellen where you see the elements of argument, pride, sassy and yet also humbleness, forgiveness and repentance, is just real. Ellen had human problems and faced human issues. She failed and made mistakes. She was after all human. And yet at the same time, the way she conducted herself was very different from how many of us today would react. In her dialogue and her representation of herself she has a holy sense about here. Ellen would state some profound things at times. “Prayer is well, but living out your prayers is still more essential” (55). Another section that I greatly enjoyed in this reading was Ellen’s role as a mother. In particularly this section I believe it is very clear what kind of struggles she faced in her days. As a mother she admits to not having always the right answer (58). She failed her family and she was humble enough to admit to that and adjust things. She was seeking the council of God and when she received it she obeyed and trusted that it would go that way. The final paragraph of that chapter really brings the entire thing home (60). My favorite reading section was the Appendix P. I have been thinking in circles and have tried to make circles work. I think the section is very perceptive in dealing with the often two-faced realities of our doctrines and theology. This section is helpful in trying to understand some of the seemingly opposed view. Within the Hebrew mindset the dichotomies were not really a problem. I thought the ellipse idea was really clear because it makes sense in our current line of thinking and makes this concept applicable. This is definitely something that I will work through more and most likely adapt.
Messenger of the Lord by Herbert E. Douglass ( Reflection Paper I)
The best method of arriving at a clear picture of the prophetic ministry of Ellen G. White, as well as understanding the focus of the writings is to consider time, place and circumstances that govern what she wrote. Geographically, the first 20 years of her life was spent in the area of Portland, Maine. From the 1830’s – 1840’s, the United States experienced a growth explosion as several states joined the union and the population increased. Much of her writings included the times of social change, slavery & civil war. The religious movement was characterized by what we would classify as “charismatic,” involving speaking in tongues and being “slain in the spirit.” These were demonstrations at camp meetings and revivals among the Methodist denomination which she joined at an early age. Despite the physical injury that she experienced, she writes she might not have known Jesus were it not for that trauma. The preaching of Wm Miller led to her Sabbath awakening, also two dreams, one a tender portrayal of Jesus’ healing touch as a friend. There are many questions about the authenticity of the message and / or messenger. Herbert E. Douglass in “The Messenger of the Lord,” examines the life of this extra biblical prophet. Many did not have a clear view of how God speaks to His human messenger. Some felt that there was exact dictation therefore emphasis was placed upon verbal revelation. The book points out that God has inspired His messengers in thought, not in words. Many instances show directions from God were given in word. To explore the revelation of God’s word, it is important to note that the test of God is Jesus, and the test of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy. Look at the four Revelations: 1. Christ revealed by incarnation ( word) “Search the scriptures....they are they that testify of me” And ye will not come to me that ye might have life John 5: 39-40 2. Scripture by inspiration 2 Tim.3:15-17 .”All scripture is given by inspiration of God 3. Church revealed by illumination “We have a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place 2 Pet. 1:19-21. 4. Cosmos revealed by creation (word ) The heavens declare the glory of God Ps19:1-4 “For the invisible things of him from creation of the world are clearly seen“… Rom. 1:20 “The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy “(Rev12:17), as testified by the angel in (Rev.19:10) “being also a fellow servant and of thy brethren the prophets” (Rev. 22:8, 9). God in speaking to Aaron and Miriam, stated “.. If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. Numbers 12:6. As pointed out in section II, Ellen White wrote in a letter: “None are compelled to believe. God gives sufficient evidence that all may divide upon the weight of evidence, but never has nor never will remove all chance for doubt, never will force faith.” Her new belief made her aware that we are not ready for the coming of the Lord; that we must become pure in heart, or we cannot see God or meet Him in peace. She found great joy in the Bible and prayer and for attending prayer meetings. In theology, truth is defined in appendix P as the sum total of objective and subjective elements. Truth must be understood in the form of an eclipse rather than a circle. One focus emphasizes transcendence (revelation). The other is immanence ( human response) such as reason or feeling. Truth is the opposite of falsehood, and in order to know what is truth, one must have patience in order to obtain wisdom needed to make decisions. Truth, therfore is a fact that has been verified. To the law and to the testimony; If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.Is.8:20 Sr. White remained faithful in love to her calling, to Jesus and all Christians. Student: Geraldine O’Neal GSEM532 7/16/07 Instructor: Dr. Martin Hanna
The concept of having a faith-sharing organized business that is not under the auspices of the church makes many Adventist church members uncomfortable. Many question sincerity and motives. There is concern that an off-shoot organization will form. The matter of oversight is of great concern. These are concerns that I also have. As I reflect on our conversation last week regarding the remnant and its mission, I believe, however that there is a critical work for Adventist supporting ministries in spreading the gospel.
Should every member of the Seventh-day Adventist church be employed by the church? This is not the position of the Seventh-day Adventist Church – which believes in the universal priesthood of all believers. Otherwise, the church would have to pay each member a salary or stipend. In an age when tithe and offerings giving is low, this would pose a dilemma. Each member is encouraged to do all they can to spread the gospel. What about forming an evangelistic organization - that is not under the auspices of the church? Does the church approve of this? The answer is yes, as long as the organization is teaching sound doctrine and practicing in accordance with Adventist beliefs. “It [the church] also acknowledges such self-supporting institutions whose activities contribute to the attainment of the church's objectives,” The Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual, p. 180.
I recently visited a nearby Adventist supporting ministry that offers work-study services to the community geared at training ex-offenders and recovering addicts to re-enter society as productive citizens. Over the last two years they have provided training and ministry to more than three dozen participants. Incredible testimonies! So here is the question – are local churches prepared to minister to ex-offenders? How willing would they be not only to welcome, but encourage ex-offenders to become members of their congregation? What about having them over for Sabbath dinner (at the member’s homes)? These questions are loaded – clearly not every church board or church business meeting would launch an outreach campaign to reach recovering ex-offenders. Even though we can close our eyes, the department of correction releases over 600,000 ex-offenders every year. Where will they go? Many will return to correctional departments. Will churches provide support, training, love, a sermon, a meal, a ride to these individuals? Some might, some might not. This is where I see the work of supporting ministries playing a vital role. It is not enough to have a conversation after Sabbath dinner about what the church is or is not doing in the community. Faith without works is dead. Therefore works are the natural response of the indwelling Holy Spirit. In my experience, when the Adventist church does not meet a need, other denominations have solutions. This used to trouble me – a lot. Not as much now. I am confident now that the Lord also works through the loving hands of non-Adventists. However, I also believe that we have hands too. Also, I believe that we can learn from Red Red A. D. Venir, a trilingual South American Adventist supporting broadcasting ministry with a similar story to 3ABN - hundreds of thousands have been reached! They have a powerful faith story. Wild faith – yet faith rewarded. When I hear their faith story on-line, it inspires me to exercise my own faith! Another matter is whether all graduating Seminary students shall be offered positions with the church – what shall become of them if they are not hired? Could they not also tell the story of Jesus through a supporting ministry? Of course!
Church allegiance is key for supporting ministries. Obtaining membership through Adventist Laymen's Services and Industries (ASI) is a critical step. This denominational organization was developed to encourage laymen to share Christ in the market place. Membership identifies the organizations as supporting the church. ASI usually has representative membership in the local conferences – thus each conference has a person who oversees keeping track of which supporting ministry falls within its geographic boundaries. Prospective ASI members are screened and need signatures from both local and conference officials – who ensure that the member is in good standing. Unwavering support for the local & conference church is required. Membership is renewed yearly. Membership identifies the organization as Adventist. Also supporting ministries can list their business with the North American Division under www.plusline.org – which provides valuable resources to beginning ministries. Interested parties can log on and see – by clicking on Organizations – which ministries are supporting. In this manner, one can do a “background check” on an organization or evangelist on a “division-approved” list. Our church understands that supporting ministries are vital support to tell the story of Jesus world-wide. I do too.
This past week’s classes on the life and ministry of Ellen G. White are fundamental to any Seventh-day Adventist. A proper understanding of her gift of prophecy is crucial to the appreciation of her role as a prophet and the messages she gave to the Church. Ellen White rose to prophetic ministry shortly after the completion of a prophetic period indicating a major turn in events of this earth’s history. Her rise not only came at a very important time in history but her ministry was indicative of the characteristics of God’s church after that time. One of the identifying marks of the Remnant Church as described in Revelation 12 is the spiritual gift of prophecy. If Ellen White did not possess a prophetic gift, as some claim, then the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church cannot justly identify itself as that Remnant Church. Its validity would be questionable without the presence of that prophetic gift. The SDA Church owes a lot more to Ellen White’s prophetic ministry than many of its members realize or are willing to admit. Not only does she shed invaluable insights onto Bible truths, the character of God and future events, but the church itself has its very identity rooted in her gift of prophecy. According to the first two verses of the book of Revelation, God the Father gave a message to Jesus Christ who showed the message to His servant John through an angel. Christ showing the message to John is described as the testimony of Jesus (verse 2). God Jesus Christ Angel Servant (John)
According to Revelation 19:10, the testimony of Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophecy. The two identifying marks of the Remnant Church according to Revelation 12:17 are that it keeps the commandments of God and has the testimony of Jesus. As shown above, this testimony is also referred to as the spirit of prophecy. Thus the SDA church can justly identify itself as that church when it acknowledges Ellen White’s prophetic role within the church and also be the acceptance and the promotion of the commandments of God which include the seventh day Sabbath. 2 Timothy 3:16 says that all scripture is given by inspiration of God. Since the Bible was written by men who were inspired by God in much the same way as John the revelator was inspired, it follows that the entire Bible is the testimony of Jesus. Jesus confirms this in John 5:39. There are several revelations of God. The first and foremost is that of Jesus Christ. His incarnation and visit to planet earth gave humans the best picture of God that they can have. To the many generations of humanity that did not have the opportunity to be in His presence while He was here 2000 years ago, they are given the inspired word in scripture. According to 2 Corinthians 3:2, the followers of Christ are a revelation to the world as to who God is and what His character is. His church gives glory to God in living up to its purpose (Ephesians 3:21). Another revelation of God is, of course, His creation. His power, sovereignty and character are revealed by the things He has made (Romans 1:20, Psalm 19:1). God respects the freewill of individuals by not making Himself blatantly obvious. The veil that ‘hides’ Him can only be removed by choosing to believe in Him. His inspired Word builds up the faith of the believer. A true prophet always has Christ at the centre of their message. When Christ is lifted up, man is drawn to His goodness and love and there begins the saving relationship God longs for with every individual. Thus prophets are a vital gift to establish and grow the faith of man ever since his fall. Ellen White clearly fulfils this role.
Our children and youth need help understanding the ministry of Sister White. In my home conference, I have had the opportunity to get feedback regarding perceptions to Sister White & her ministry. I believe that overall, there is a poor understanding of her work and ministry. In most pulpits in our conference, it is doctrinally “safe” to use her writings – the issue comes when ministering to the youth. For this group – the words “spirit of prophecy” or “Sister White” have left a bad taste in their mouths. Why? I believe this is related to: low church school attendance, lack of proper instruction for the children attending our church schools, lack of proper instruction in the church youth organizations, and negative experiences with church authorities.
Regarding low church school attendance, in my experience, close to sixty percent of our children are not attending church school. For these students who miss out on the instruction, it only makes it more difficult for them, as they are missing basic information on the spirit of prophecy. The North American Division Education Department recommends that schools utilize our published resources - Pathways of the Pioneers, Keepers of the Flame, & the eDream video promoting E. G. White. We have resources - the curriculum is certainly there. I feel at times, that the proper instruction does not transfer over for the kids who are in church school. For the kids who are not enrolled in church school, when shall they get the instruction at all? At church? In Sabbath School, A.Y., Pathfinder, or Adventurer meetings? If yes, shall they regularly attend the meetings? Who shall teach the subject? Clearly, sound curriculum, instruction and instructors are needed.
The negative church experiences for our youth are far too common. Many have been “knocked down” with their developing questions because they’ve heard all too often that they cannot do this or that because “Sister White said…..” Because of the inappropriate application of her counsel, many youth associate Sister White only with restrictions and not with encouragement or inspiration. The youth learn to shun certain conversations around certain adults because they know what the response will be – another unpractical lecture that leaves little light on the matter. Qualified instructors are clearly needed on the topic. The instruction is needed at every level, including our leadership. I see that her life and ministry has been such a blessing specifically to us as a people. No doubt, the enemy knows that we could spiritually prosper as a people – thus her special ministry has been riddled with opposition and misunderstanding. There is work to do!
No Halfway Point “God is either teaching His church… or He is not. This work is of God or it is not. There is no halfway work in the matter. The testimonies are of the Spirit of God or of the Devil…” “The Holy Ghost is the author of the Scriptures and of the Spirit of Prophecy…” Ellen White quoted in the Messenger of the Lord, p. 420, Douglass. I believe that Sister White’s writings are inspired. The Conflict of the Ages Series has been a personal and spiritual blessing for me and my family. They are a great source of encouragement. Great light has been shed light on many Biblical passages. Yet, it is seen as heretical to even bring up these passages as abandoning Scripture. I believe that the Holy Ghost inspired the Bible authors & that the same Holy Spirit also inspired Sister White. I don’t see that the two are opposed to each other, but I see them working in harmony. Yet, there is a trend from our pulpits to dismantle her teachings. Why?
I can only see that spiritual warfare is involved. For example, when Sister White provides additional detail to Biblical stories – I see great value in this! The Desire of Ages provides a tremendous background to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ - even providing details that are not found in the Bible! This includes His birth, childhood, his ministry, the attitudes of the disciples, His passion, resurrection and post-resurrection encounters, etc. Her writings extend not replace what the Bible teaches! What a treasure!
So, then are her writings less inspired because they are not in the Bible? Certainly not! Yet many see the Desire of Ages as an Adventist Time magazine – decent reading material if you’re at the dentist’s office, but otherwise, it’s not for scholarly or serious use, & certainly not inspired. I greatly disagree with this view! I know that many would called me a fundamentalist on this matter, but if this is the title given to people who accept Sister White’s authority as God’s prophetess with specific love messages to His people & the world – than I can live with that. I do not believe that the devil fooled us with Sister White. I do not believe that she is a servant of Satan! These are pretty strong words – yet, this is the subconscious belief by many Adventists. There is a question of her authority. There is a concern by many Adventists that the church has yielded to tradition and gone astray by listening to an outdated messenger- pioneer. We should adjust to new times, and keep her in the context of 1844, some believe. They insist that she should not be quoted at all. My position is that we should understand that there is a great controversy going on between Christ and Satan- an on-going spiritual struggle going for the minds of children on earth. We are living in the earth’s final hour – we have special needs, therefore, the Lord has made provision for these needs through the Spirit of Prophecy (Holy Spirit, Bible, & Sister White). Many Adventists have not thought critically about Sister White’s role in these dangerous times. Would a rigorous study of the Bible and Sister White writings offend Christ? I don’t think so. Sadly, as new members enter the faith, we poorly present her ministry, or don’t do it at all so that the implication is that Sister White should be ignored. It seems as though we are sounding less unique and more like the other groups in the World Council of Churches. Too much listening to mainline televangelists has skewed our thinking. The rationale by some is that speaking about her ministry will give Adventist the impression – again - that we are a cult, so “we’d better keep her hush-hush, in the secret E.G. White crypt in the church basement”, otherwise, the world will finally confirm what they already think of us anyway.
I do not believe that she was a fake. So, then, why should I be ashamed of her teaching? Better put, why base my faith on what others think? Better to move forward from this point with thus saith the Lord. Clearly, how we teach the ministry is central to the matter. Obviously some would prefer that we not teach, because it is not politically correct in our day and age. Better for us to keep in mind that popularity is not an identifying mark of the remnant church – so I can live with the labeling. I am not planning on forcing her message, but neither am I hiding her in the secret basement crevices of the church – not going to happen! Because of my previous experience as an Adventist school principal, I believe that part of our challenge is instructional. I do not think that it is hopeless, I see this as full of hope. Others (including Adventists) should be taught the precious truth about gifts of the Holy Spirit.
God communicates to man through various ways one of which is through His prophets. Prophets are referred to as messengers of the Lord (Malachi 3:1) which is an interchangeable term with ‘angel’. In Revelation 1:1 and 22:16 angels are specifically referred to as messengers. Although prophets are messengers of the Lord they do not always understand the message they are relaying to humanity (1 Peter 1:8-12). Often times the message they are recording is for a time period in the future where people living in that future period will better understand what the prophet had recorded. Daniel is one of many examples where he did not completely understand all the visions he saw but he recorded them anyway and god sealed them. This means He hid the meaning of the prophecies and in order to unveil it at a time He deems appropriate. Seventh-day Adventists (SDA) believe that the true meaning of Daniel’s 2,300 day prophecy was unveiled only after the great disappointment in late 1844. The term ‘messenger of the Lord’ is a Biblical term which Ellen White employs in describing her ministry. The Bible refers to Jesus as the messenger of the Lord. Angels, prophets, as well as church ministers are also referred to in like manner. Ellen White steered away from calling herself a prophetess because it would have caused people to be less receptive of her. In a time where prophets were viewed with great skepticism she called herself the messenger of the Lord which as we have seen means exactly the same thing as prophet. People that knew Ellen White knew her as someone that displayed great humility. Never did she boast in her prophetic gift but always admonished or instructed people in the most loving and appropriate way. Even though she felt rejected many times she went about doing the work she was called to do by laying down her pride and clinging to her faith in Jesus Christ to sustain her. Like anything, a message is best interpreted within its context. A written text is best interpreted within the paragraph it belongs to which is best interpreted within the book, library, as well as the time and environment. This includes the culture and the circumstances under which the statement was made. For one to understand Ellen White’s messages from God they need to be interpreted within the context they are made in. Many statements are made with certain conditions attached to them. This is no different from Biblical writers. Paul gives instruction to be followed only if certain conditions are met. For example in 1 Corinthians 11:6 he uses the word “if” to denote conditionality. Statements need to be interpreted the way the author intended them to otherwise the meaning is lost and can even lead to dangerous misunderstandings. Ellen White herself as a girl felt very afraid of God and resented Him as a result of hearing sermons all her life which misinterpreted God’s message and character. Her motivation in following God shifted from one of fear to love after she had some dreams from God revealing His love for her and also by talking to a spiritual elder by the name of Levi Stockman. From her childhood Ellen White suffered with very poor health, at times thinking she was dying. Going through many times of poverty with her husband and always striving to be the best wife and mother it is remarkable that she had any time or energy for ministry. What is even more amazing about this feeble lady is the amount of work she accomplished during her life under the most unfavourable circumstances. She wrote 100,000 pages of material. She is thought to be the third most translated author in history, the most translated female writer, and the most translated American author of either sex. The mark of a divine calling was definitely visible in the life and ministry of Ellen White to those who knew her personally. The Bible records Jesus telling His disciples that, “By their fruits you shall know them.” Matthew 7:20. Not only was God’s enabling power clearly manifested in Ellen White’s life but His character shone bright through her.
Is Ellen G. White inspired like Peter, Paul, or John?
I have greatly enjoyed both class discussion and readings so far, and the following is my personal reflections on what I’ve learned, experienced, and questions I am struggling with. First, I am thankful for a holistic view of Spirit of Prophecy that includes the life and ministry of Ellen White, but also includes the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit, the apostles and prophets of both Old and New Testaments. Having seen from the Bible how rich and grand is the teaching and understanding of the Spirit of Prophecy, it has helped me to stay balanced and focused as a Christian and as a Seventh-day Adventist without going to an extreme in dismissing the life and ministry of Ellen White on the one hand, or going to an extreme literal interpretation of her writings as being on the same level as the Bible. Here also is where my first question surfaces. In class it was stated that Ellen White is an “extra biblical prophet” just like the prophet Nathan in the Old Testament, who’s writings are not included in the canon of Scripture. What is the biblical teaching and correct understanding of how “extra biblical prophets” are to be understood and interpreted in the light of existing revelation (i.e., Holy Scripture)? For example, if archaeologists were to one day discover writings that could be certified and validated as authentically written by the prophet “Nathan,” how would they compare to the rest of the canon of Scripture, and what level of authority would they have? In class it was stated that Ellen White’s writings, being part of God’s revelation in the church, are in some unique way “the Word of God”. Does that mean they have the same authority as the writings of Peter, Paul, and Jesus for modern Seventh-day Adventists? Second, I have appreciated the knowledge and reminder that “prophets are not infallible” nor do they have perfect understanding. In other words, perfection of infallibility is not a proof or test of a prophet. After having passed the four tests of a biblical prophet (#1, Has a Christ-centered Message – 1 John 4:1-3; #2, To the Law and to the Testimony – Isaiah 8:20; #3, What they say will come to pass – Deut. 18:22; #4, Character – Matt. 7:20) and having been evaluated by the community of faith, a biblical prophet does not need to present credentials of infallibility. I am glad to have discovered and understood this important point, because it will save people a lot of heartache in the long run. If only we would read and believe what the Bible says: Only God is infallible! (1 Tim. 1:17) If the Bible is true in stating that biblical prophets are not infallible, then I believe more people would believe in God’s true prophets and messengers like Ellen G. White. Thirdly, I have been challenged by the reading of John 5:39-40: “The Scriptures testify of Me (Jesus), yet you refuse to come to Me, that you may have life!” The Holy Scriptures are a Testimony of Jesus whose purpose includes bringing us to Jesus Christ so that we may experience life through Him. I am troubled and challenged in seeing that clear objective not apparent and visible every time one enters into a Bible study or dialogue upon biblical passages. Jesus is the center of the Bible, and if one fails in having a worshipful encounter with him every time one opens the Bible, then one has become just like the Pharisees of Jesus Day. That is why, I appreciate the herald and cry to be a prophetic message that is Christ-centered, Biblical, and relevant in the world in which we live. A question I am struggling with is, “Since the prophetic ministry of Ellen White is already Christ-centered, Biblical, and relevant to the world in which we now live, what are some creative and unexpected ways to share her life, ministry, and message with a world that is so concerned with the present, that we have to care for the past nor the future?
Student:Geraldine ONeal Class:The Life and Ministry Of E.G.White Instructor:Dr.M.Hanna Date: July 30, 2007
Reflections From Section V MESSENGER OF THE LORD By Herbert E. Douglass
For years skeptics and critics have debated the reliability of the Bible. In this section the author points out that the cohesiveness and inner coherence of the truth is the mark of authenticity. The author states that to take a doctrine and add unscriptural interpretation causes other doctrines to be affected as well. We are admonished to prayerfully study, and Isaiah 28:10 outlines the method: For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little. God in love does not force the will he offers us the scripture, His word as our only safeguard from error. Rejection of truth gives the arch deceiver access to the mind for him to heap upon it all types of deception. A warning is given in scripture when the heart is hardened because of rebellion. 2 Thess:9-12 shows Satan coming with all power and lying wonders, and deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie that they may be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. A total of 16 controversial issues were discussed whereby twin truths are joined. The first is the relationship between Christ’s work on the cross and the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is acting in the plan of salvation but not separate and apart from Jesus, who is the sacrifice for sin. The Holy Spirit regenerates and puts into effect the sacrificial work of Christ upon the hearts of men. The shed blood of Jesus cleanses from every defilement but without the Holy Spirit we can do nothing. We could not even get a prayer through without him because he takes our feeble prayers and transforms them into the language of heaven since we know not what to pray for as we ought. Rom. 8:26. One chapter deals with the blessings of the Health message, the right arm of the gospel. There is also another side, perhaps the left arm which involves a fanatical twist and condemnation of others who do not likewise. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. This should be our motivation and rule in teaching what is allowed or not allowed. "Appetite"
Evil all started with a condition called appetite, Plunging this whole world into a terrible plight; Perfect harmony existed until along came sin, With uncontrolled passions raging from within.
Some inner cravings are satisfied with foods, Stimulants from foods cause certain moods; Moods that are uncontrolled lead one to fuss and fight, It becomes a chained reaction brought on by appetite.
Ellen White had remarkable physical manifestations of her prophetic gift when she was in vision. Her supernatural antics silenced many critics of her time, however, it should be noted that they are not the sole basis of testing a true prophet. Although supernatural phenomena often accompany a vision, Satan can also perform things which can fool someone into accepting a false prophet. Exodus records the prophets and magicians of Egypt being able to ‘replicate’ some of the miracles God wrought through the prophet Moses. Although Ellen White when in vision, felt at times that she was taken out of this world and given glimpses of heaven she did not claim to have an out of body experience or undergo a transcendental astro-travel. She was very adamant in her view of the non-immortality of the soul that the soul cannot have any conscious existence without the body. Her visions were characteristic of God coming down to the human with a message like in the case of Daniel and John the Revelator and not a prophet going to heaven to bring a message down to earth characteristic of the prophet Mohammed. Prophets grow in grace and knowledge like all other believers. By examining Ellen White’s theological growth we can gain a better understanding of Biblical prophets. Ellen White was no different to John the Baptist or Peter who at times misunderstood the message they were to proclaim as well as their mission as prophets. Ellen White had many incorrect understandings on matters of doctrine and lifestyle which were corrected during the course of her ministry. This was done after study of the scriptures and collaborating with her fellow Bible students. These included her husband and Joseph Bates which along with her founded the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church. The Lord often confirmed what was already studied through her. At times Ellen White’s view was not the one that was confirmed but the findings of someone else were. Consequently she had to correct her views and humbly let everyone know what the Lord had shown her. We can draw some lessons from this in our own personal lives. Often times Christians expect the Lord to reveal His will or give us a correct understanding on an issue without doing any study of the Bible first. The Lord has revealed many things in the Bible which we as Christians have access to and should not need God to repeat what He has already revealed. We should always ask the Holy Spirit to guide us as we open the word and reveal to us the answers to the questions we have. If after careful study of it we do not find the answers we are looking for we need to ask God to reveal it to us in His time and wait patiently for it. We also need to examine our lives and see if there is anything that stands in the way of God speaking to us on a particular issue. Perhaps we are willfully violating a principle in our lives and He is waiting for us to fully surrender to Him before He reveals any more truth. The lecturer made some very good points this week which I was thankful for. The message of the SDA church has always been a message that seeks to reveal the God of creation. This is why the Sabbath is so precious to us. This message is a holistic message covering areas of doctrine, lifestyle as well as our relation to the planet. Christians have long neglected the planet and continue to promote many detrimental practices which must surely sadden the God of creation. We as SDA’s should be foremost in the environmental scene and bring people to a relationship with the one and true God. Negligence in this area cannot be excused if we claim to be the heralds of the 3 Angel’s messages of Revelation 14. On a separate point, there was a lot of discussion this week on the moral and ceremonial laws. Colossians 2:14 has the Greek word for dogma after the word ‘handwriting’. Perhaps what was said in class resulted from an oversight in the exegesis of this text. SDA’s need not fear v.16 as it can be shown that it a fulfillment of Hosea 2:11 and is in chiastic form where ‘Sabbaths’ corresponds with ‘feasts’.
Should People Be Baptized into the SDA Church Who Are Not Aware of the Prophetic Ministry of Ellen G. White?
Reflecting on the previous week’s class experience, I have benefited and grown by the following points of class discussion. First, I have learned by struggling and wrestling with the idea that Ellen G. White is a prophet to the remnant church. While her messages are relevant for everyone (non-Seventh-day Adventists), in a special way for Seventh-day Adventists, she is a prophetess. Since from the church’s inception, Seventh-day Adventists have evaluated her ministry and have recognized her as a prophetess, her messages are relevant and important for all Seventh-day Adventists. In the modern and pluralistic world of the twenty-first century of today, this raises some important questions for those individuals who seek to join the mission and membership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Do potential and prospective church members need to have a full understanding and acceptance of the life and ministry of Ellen G. White as a “prophet of the Lord” before being allowed into church membership? Should potential church members be accepted into church membership through profession of faith or “baptism” without having a “mature understanding of Adventism” or being informed of the existence of Ellen White’s ministry within the Seventh-day Adventist Church? I believe it is not only unfair, but also deceptive to accept people into the membership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church without at least teaching them about spiritual gifts and the ministry of Ellen G. White in the Seventh-day Adventist Church as a prophetess. I have benefited from the discussions in class, and have been challenged in teaching and informing prospective church members before encouraging them to be baptized into the mission and membership of the SDA Church of the existence and ministry of Ellen White as a prophet of God. Secondly, I have benefit and grown from the class discussion on God’s ideal for the remnant church. In class it was shared how God’s purpose has never been to produce a “perfect institution,” but a spiritual movement. In view of the fact that there exist differences in worship style and differences in non-salvation beliefs within the SDA Church, and in view that Christ’s coming is soon, I have greatly appreciated this important point about “God desiring a spiritual movement versus a perfect institutional church” as humanity nears the end of time. I have honestly been challenged by those that while they do not out rightly claim that the Seventh-day Adventist Church has become Babylon and has apostatized from God’s truth, still claim that God must raise up a “purified and perfect” remnant church. Our class discussion on this important matter has given me “food for thought” as I contemplate God purpose for his remnant church. Thirdly, the discussion on the “judgment” and on the “heavenly sanctuary” has helped me to see God’s judgment and God’s sequence of judging mankind in a new and different way. While it is true that God has been judging mankind since the days of Noah’s flood, in a special way, He began the judgment of the living in 1844 A.D. Some have been scared into the Kingdom by, what I believe are erroneous views of the judgment of the living. I have grown in my understanding of God’s judgment as a judgment “on our behalf” and for “our sake”. 1844 A.D., and the “message of the hour of God’s judgment,” have helped me see more of Christ and his love by showing that God is not a God who rushes into judgment, but is a Judge who is fair and willing that none should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Fourthly and finally, I have both struggled and been enriched by discovering that in Galatians, Romans, and all of the Bible, God’s Law (Torah), which includes the moral, ceremonial, and natural law, all are a “school master” to lead us to Christ (Gal. 3:21-22). Since the purpose of the Law is to lead us to Christ, then God’s Law, moral, natural, and ceremonial must still exist to help lead individuals to Jesus Christ. The relationship of the Christian to the Law is one of recognition and observance as rules, guidelines, and principles that help individuals benefit from the gifts that God has given every one of His sons and daughters in Jesus Christ. With this new understanding of the “law” as a schoolmaster to lead one to Christ, I have been reevaluating whether the Jewish Feasts and Festivals might still have some significance for Seventh-day Adventist Christians, or if the entire “ceremonial law” (including the Jewish Festivals and holy days) have ceased to have any function at all for Christians. Not in a legalistic sense, but instead as spiritual markers to lead us to Christ.
I have been enjoying and benefiting from our class discussions and readings thus far. Here are the points in our discussion last week and reading, that I have found most challenging and helpful. First, I have benefited from being reminded how God has led his spiritual people in the past and in the present. For instance, God’s ideal for his chosen people Israel in the Old Testament was not always achieved. Sometimes he had to work with the “hardness of people’s hearts.” I especially found helpful the diagram and historical picture of how God has led his people in the past. He called Israel, out of the nations, then Christians out of Israel, then Protestant Reformers out of Christianity, and in these “last days” has called the Seventh-day Adventist Church from Protestant Christianity. What I appreciated about our class discussion was the point that “It is not impossible for the Remnant to apostatize.” I have struggled with that idea before, but likewise believe that God is not calling for a new institution, but instead is calling for a “spiritual coming out, and not a new institutional coming out,” as some have suggested. The textbook highlights how since the inception of the organized Seventh-day Adventist Church, there have been individuals who have accused the Seventh-day Adventist Church of apostasy and of becoming “Babylon.” Yet Ellen G. White defended the organized Seventh-day Adventist Church, of which she was a member all of her life, while not denying that the church “could apostatize.” I believe that God wants a spiritual reformation to take place in his organized remnant church, and does not call for a new institution. Staying on the theme of calling the church “Babylon,” I was likewise challenged to hear that denying the church’s responsibility to voice concerns for the social issues of our day, are likewise “signs of Babylon, just as much as Sunday-keeping” is. I think that as a church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has focused more on preaching the message of Christ’s soon coming, and not focused or emphasized the social issues that the church and people are dealing with today. The church and its theology have focused more on the life to come, than on the present earthly life. As a church, its pastors, teachers, and members need to give more attention to the social issues our world is facing. Finally, I have been challenged by the discussions in class on the authority of the moral, ceremonial, and natural law in the life of a Christian. These discussions have led me to go back and study those biblical passages that mention the “blotting out of the handwriting against us” (Col 2:14-16), “abolishing … the enmity contained in commandments and ordinances” (Eph. 2:14-15), and other key passages (Rom. 3:31; 14:7-12; Gal. 2:23-25). Traditionally, Seventh-day Adventists have made arguments in favor of the validity of the moral law by distinguishing it from the ceremonial law. They have tried to show that the ceremonial law pointed to the death of Jesus the Christ, and that at the cross, the ceremonial law ceased to have the same function as before. The interpretation in class as to texts that speak on “abolishing the enmity contained in commandments” and “blotting out the handwriting against us,” has been helpful in seeing an alternative interpretation and way in which Christians can believe in the continuing authority and validity of God’s moral law, without having to turn to the traditional ceremonial versus moral law argument. The record of the sins each person has individually broken being nailed to the cross and taken away, avoids the ceremonial versus moral law argument. This alternative interpretation does not seek to avoid the clear distinctions that exist in the Bible between the ceremonial and moral law of God, but instead seeks to avoid being accused of creating a false “dichotomy” between God’s moral and ceremonial law, which have always functioned to lead sinners to Christ.
Class Experience and Reading, # 2 How to become prophet? By Josue Manigat The life of Ellen W. as a prophetess contributes in my Bible understanding in many areas. First, it is a question, does someone born prophet or does he or she receive a call at a certain moment? The second question is about the age, who the youngest prophet claimed in the Bible? And then, when God calls someone to be a prophet, does this person stay prophet until deaf or when the mission is accomplished? In the same time, as an extra biblical prophet, the life of Ellen W. appears to me different of those I have studied in the context of Biblical learning. At least three important dimensions make her life very unusual to my understanding: her commitment in the society matter; her social or cultural position in such area as racial discrimination and war; and her profession of a prophet seem too much similar with her mission as a prophetess insomuch it look some time difficult to make a difference between her profession and her call to be a prophet. .
The unbelievable visions of Ellen W. in her life as a prophetess surprise me. More than 2000 visions in her entire life are very numerous. I understand in the context, God willed to drive His people carefully to a new understanding of the second coming; I understand also that too much confusion had been occurring in that time, therefore, God gives clear messages to help His people to be an helpful witness to the world; but I have hard time to admit that one people can receive so many visions. In this context, it is easy to ask if Ellen W had time for family, creation time, and others. I believe yes because in the class and the book also report so. But another question how much time did Ellen W. set apart fort spiritual matters and social matters? Or could Ellen W’s life be fulfilled as a total dedication to God’s work like the John the Baptist was? It would be amazing to study these questions more closely.
The second point is about the age to be prophet. The Bible witnesses that Jeremiah was called when he was very young (at seventeen age, I remember). But, God told him, before you born, I consecrated you. Could someone say that Jeremiah born prophet? In fact, when someone is calling to be prophet for God? When God needs him or her in a specific time or at his or her birth? Consequently when someone ceases to be a prophet? I am wondering what the Bible says about it.
The third idea is on the commitment of Ellen W. in the evolution of the society in the same time in the life of individuals. It looks for me that Ellen W. filled concerned by too many details occurring in our society. Look the Civil War, why God felt obliged to give her a vision on that situation? The same question may be asked for the social and racial discrimination that faced black people in this time. Could some one mention that Ellen W. was perceived as the conscience of SDA believers at that time without being wrong?
The fourth point concerns the profession of Ellen W. As a citizen, what was the profession of Ellen W.? Was she a writer; a freelance writer in relation to SDA organization? Which part of her writings is secular? Which part is sacred? Do we find a Bible example in the Bible or does Ellen W. appears as exception? The only resemblance I have seen in the Bible is about Daniel. As a prophet, he worked in the court of Babylon as politician, or an adviser.
By asking so many questions, I have discovered that to be a prophet, it is not to be busy only in the spiritual matter. God calls His prophets according to the need of their times. It is also true that God calls his people to make not only known His words and His will but also to make His words and His will relevant to the our present situation according to the way the people are living. Am I wrong?
Class and Reading experience # 3 Centralization in Adventism movement
At the page 183, on the bottom, the author declares that, according to Ellen White, personal religion and organized religion are two sides of a coin that we call “the church”. The understanding of the last readings shows, or convinces me that our pioneer had put too much energy to centralize organization, and beliefs of Adventist movement. It might be that Adventism being so conservative, some one could say legalistic, inherits this from millerite movement.
It comes to see how difficult the beginning of SDA movement was. There was the tendency to centralize all institutions in a same place, even there was the tendency to centralize the power among some people who believed that they were only those capable to put award the movement. There was also a tendency to centralize the message on a particular point. It is amazing to see how God has worked through time and Ellen White, and others toward a decentralization of the movement.
This is understood because millerite movement that SDA inherits failed in a kind of closed circuit. I perceive the door close as a kind of exclusivism. Why could have they believed those outside of America, and outside of Millerite movement could have not been saved? It is amazing to see how Adventism inherits this thinking in their organization and in their beliefs. Through this book readings and SDA history, we have discovered how difficult for the prophet to convince people our first leaders the necessity and the wholesomeness to spread the institution in different town and different countries.
Today’s again, it is not impossible to find some residue of the centralization thinking in Adventist behavior. Without getting in details, we want just to mention some such as we believe that we only are God people. Even here, in a university doing a master, it is difficult to thing that God is leading also other religions as He is leading us. I did not omit that God lead SDA in a certain and particular way for a particular purpose. It is also true that God is care about other religions. In others, we can see how we centralize the salvation that God offers to us. Behold, for some, the vegetarianism is the most important thing that must be kept and preached in our churches; for others, the Sabbath is the culminating object of salvation; for others, the fait is the faith only think key element of salvation, yes, faith without love; concerning your youth, the master must be praising God; and so on.
This kind of beliefs might drive us not to be open; to refuse more light that may want to give us. In Luke 16:12, Jesus reproached His disciples not to be ready to receive other teachings that He desired to teach them. Could it be that God would tell us more if we were more open, less self-confidence, more humble? Through the last day’s discussion in the class concerning the abolition of the law on the cross, one can see, even, we proclaim the Bible, and the Bible only, but we are more focusing in the New Testament area. It is important to give up some resistance and let God speak to us in the beginning of this new century.
Class Experience and Reading, #1 Prophet in his or her time: Ellen White as an illustration By Josue Manigat Ellen G. W., as a prophet, is a confirmation that God meets people where they are. From a kind of disorder social situation such confusion after the great disappointment, God people were so frustrated that God came to them by revealing Himself through the one who looks the less to perform the revelation of God. Is Ellen a prophet is not the question. The question is about demonstration that Ellen G White was a true prophet. How to de be convinced that Ellen G White is a real prophet of God? By trying this question, I have learned at least four things in the class and thought the readings. Those things turn about how to recognize a biblical prophet. Second, the prophet is a reflection of his historical cultural background. Third, Ellen G W as a prophet identified by SDA Churches has deliberately chosen to take some distance from the Structural SDA Organization. Four, prophets can make mistakes. Those things help me to understand the way that God works to meet people and to enlighten them according to their need. 1- Ellen G White as a prophet is a big and a huge discussion among SDA and other religious group. Questioning about the relevance of prophet is not only occurred in our times. Even Christ is pointed out about His true messiah. I am so happy that the Bible has made provision concerning how to teach and to recognize a real prophet that God sent to us. Without getting in some details, true prophets have some physical and biblical characteristics. Ellen. G. W. has fulfilled all those biblical expectations. The most ideal that rejoices me much appears is the teaching that the true prophet must be both biblical and relevant in his time. In this view, Elle G W must be perceived as a champion. 2- Ellen G. W. reflects her history time. Not only she talked about but also, she felt concerned, and some time, she took public position by enouncing the word of God as the mean line that society must follow. In her time, some social changes had been made. In social developments, such particular attentions had been focusing; just thinking about racial problems; slavery discrimination; vegetarianism, war and personal preoccupations as getting better heath, and so on. In these turning social situations, Ellen G. W. must have taken position, and raise the voice of God as the divine way for humanity. 3- Identified as a prophet, the life of Ellen G. W. was so simple. As a person in whom God has worked. Witnessing about her commitment with others, one could say she was most of the time impressed by Holy Spirit. This occurred even in bad as in good time. Even, she was a prophet, and behaved like that; her common life was similar as anyone else. She had to work hardly; she was sick most of time; some time, she was upset, and so on. But in all circumstances, they might say any wrong about her public life. She was in spectacle among men and women of this word, and she used always to show the grace of God in her daily involvement. 4- Did Ellen G. W. sin? Of course, she was a person. Everyone sins. Did she do some mistakes? Oh yes, she did. Once again, this teaches me that people, even chosen by Go, can make mistakes. But those who are really chosen by God repent of their mistakes and abandon them. Then they dream for a revival. This means so well the way that Ellen G. W. lived.
Ragnheidur Olafsdottir(Lala) Reflection paper nr.1
Sola Scriptura and EGW as a bonus!!
I must say that these few classes that we have already had, have indeed been very interesting. As for me, not being raised up in a Christian home or as an Adventist and therefore not having had the privilege of knowing Ellen White´s writings until about 11 years ago, then I must say it has been indeed a treat for me to absorb some of her written work through those recent years. Yet while I have been reading some of her books, many questions have awakened within. I feel that some of my questions are already started to being answered by listening to the lectures and reading the book required for this class. Also before this class I had taken SDA lifestyle taught by prof. George Knight last summer and that also helped me a lot in understanding that EGW was as much a human being with her personal needs as a God´s child with a special prophetic role to undertake. I do wish that before I started reading her books some years ago, I would have had the privilege of understanding some theological issues concerning her prophetic role because I feel that could have spared me some moments of doubt and perhaps given me a different view into her writings at that time. However, being such a new Christian and a new Adventist, a strange thing always seemed to happen when I read her work....yes, I became more enthusiastic about reading the Bible itself..it was somehow as EGW was pointing me (through her writings) to see it for myself in the Scriptures...yes, many points that I had missed in the Bible, she pointed out...and it was a revelation to me each time. However through my journey of faith I have struggled with the thought that we should only read the Bible and the Bible only...And I have procrastinated to read a lot of her books since I felt it would confuse me or distract me. However during these past few years I have come to a different conclusion....her writings never seem to distract me, on the contrary to they make me more enthusiastic about God´s Word. That is why I greatly appreciate this course because it not only educates me about the person EGW but also it reflects her Godly role and how it can be seen through Scripture. And the words found in 1.Cor 14.22 have helped me to understand that EGW has fulfilled that role in my life, that is that prophets are supposed to “serve those who believe” so that they will understand the Word of God more fully. And during these last lectures I have enjoyed listening and grasping the theological issues concerning how God chooses to reveal himself...and how one of these ways is through us “fallable” human beings, His Church on earth, and there included are the prophets such as EGW who point us constantly towards the Word of God. I did appreciate the statement given in class that we should not look for a perfect nature in the prophets...and a good example of that could be, for instance, Jonah. And more statements that remind us of how we are to discern who is true and not... Jesus said “by their fruits” we shall know them. Yes, the Word of God can easily show us what to trust and what not to trust.... “To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them”.Isaiah 8:20 and many more passages found in Scripture. By reading some of the chapters in the book The Messenger of the Lord, I could identify with a lot in EGW life and it has indeed made me a bit calmer these last days. To be more precise , then while reading about how EGW constantly had to balance being a mother and a wife and then at the same time God´s messenger, then I realized that this is something I have been struggling with as well, not that I would say that I was a Messenger of the Lord, but I feel like I am called like many to serve the Lord and to declare His praises and often I meet a lot of hindrances as a woman and a mother in that area. It most certainly is a great encouragement for women in ministry to read about EGW life. I do believe that during these next weeks many of us, will be enlightened and strenghtened as we discover how God chose EGW as a special instrument to point the rest of us to His Word, and how we all can be an instrument for God if we are led by HIS SPIRIT. Another discussion I enjoyed a lot in one of the lectures was about the Remnant Church and how the Spirit of God is awakening people in many areas even though they are not a part of the General Conference Church to bring about God´s work in this world. This has been my own experience and I am convinced that God will use those who love his Word and His Law to finish the work here on earth and they will be called the Remnant of His Kingdom on earth. May God bless us to read and understand His Word.!
Let us teach holistic thinking, and just then, people will feast on the Bible.
Going through last weeks discussion in class and the reading materials, I feel that God is opening up new things to me. By reading about EGW life , what others said about her and the information we have about her personal letters, I have been able to identify with so much. And I quess what most pastors or those who give their service to the Lord experience every now and then is that they feel like no one else is going through what they are going through. In the reading materials I found helpful to see that EGW was often discouraged, not that it would make me happy to see that she was, but the fact that even though she was a prophetess she also had her moments when she could feel Satan attacking her. And it is true that we can identify ourselves with those who have experienced what we are experiencing. Even Jesus had to go through life the way we do and therefore we can surely identify ourselves with him. I also found the discussion helpful about how sensitive we must be when we interpret EGW writings and how indeed it is important to know much about her culture and the time issues in her life and while keeping that in mind we should also apply the same principle to the Bible. It seems that we miss out on so much if we do not do this. We can for instance not be drawn to the message if we do not understand in what context it is written or given for. For instance it seems that in EGW time, Christians practised more of an open discussion of things in the churches, a kind of debate style. And when we read about it some 100 years later we find it kind of strange to see that EGW addressed many things openly in people´s personal lives. But if we look at the context then we can see that in this era , the Church chose to speak openly about certain matters and though the Christian Church in general doesn´t practise that much nowadays it doesn´t make it wrong or right that they chose to do it then. I have also found it helpful when the discussion in class has led us to think about whether things are not always black or white, that there are many things to take into consideration, both in EGW writings and lifestyle and also when we read the Bible. And the Dr.Hanna has made it clear to us that sometimes both sides do have a certain truth in them and also therefore, something wrong in them as well. We find many things strange in the Bible as well, and that may be because we do not understand the culture of that time and also that we come from a totally different background and we feel that our lifestyle and background makes sense to us. In one session, Dr.Hanna spoke about the role of a prophet and the role of the pastor...that it is not enough to put general principles out there or to put some doctrines out there and expect that people will grasp them. We also have to care for the people and help them grow and understand what the doctrines or the principles are all about. This is something I think would help the church body enormously , that is, if pastors and those who lead would keep in mind that most of the time they are speaking to an audience that doesn´t read the Bible on a regular basis and therefore they must take the time to explain all things. The fact is that many of the Christians are now in a Laodicean state and perhaps they do need someone who cares about their understanding of the written Word and like the professor said in class, we have to sit down with them and feast on the Bible. Perhaps sometimes pastors and leaders try so hard to reach the multitude that they forget to pay attention to the souls that are hungry for a more deeper level of study in the churches. And the discussion about how afraid Christians sometimes are, to let the Holy Spirit speak to them. Many have missed out on the great principles in EGW writings because they themselves simply cannot see what principles she or the Bible is trying to get through to humanity. And this discussion leads us to understand so many things the Bible wants to teach us , such as the covenant and the law, for the law is not an end to itself. And I believe that pastors and the church in general have not emphasized enough, not nearly enough on the fact that they teach the law of God but they don´t teach people the principles of the law. And in general we are not taught to “love the law” for what it stands for, therefore there are many Christians who carry the law as a burden and they also carry EGW written work as a burden, because they find her writings to be strict and they do not understand the context of her writing anymore than many understand the context of the Bible at times. However, we are all learners, students of the gospel and therefore we can often be discouraged when we are on our religious walk. That is why when taken in consideration all the complications of reading the Bible and coming to an understanding of God, we should find EGW writings to be helpful, but her work will never “truly help us” unless we understand where she is coming from and what her role is in general. That is why I have been so blessed by listening and observing the material requested. I know I will have a wonderful time reading EGW written work in the future along with my Bible, because I find that EGW always points us to our ruler of faith which is the Bible.
If we don´t understand...we should wait for God to enlighten us, Instead of walking away!!
During this last week´s discussing in class, my eyes have been opened to even more truth. Dr.Hanna´s explanation of the ceremonial law and the moral law has been a eye opener for me. Of course nothing in the Bible is useless, yet we are always trying to simplify all things. People try to “do away with “ so many things just because they do not understand something. This should be a grave lesson for us to consider concerning our own present and future. Much of our attempts to simplify and therefore distort the truth is probably because we have dwarfed our thinking like EGW says we have. We become mental dwarfs when we do not consider God´s real character and his genuine nature. When we do not seek to understand those things that are “not in focus” for us, we become so discouraged and even forget to seek God like never before. And sometimes, like in the life of Daniel the prophet, the message was not for HIM to understand. Yes, we have to become humble in everyway, as to what God is doing on a universal scale and in history. It was wonderful to study and see that the very Jesus Christ that created this earth and all there is, also gave the ceremonial law...(and the ten commandments = The Moral law) and why should He have to abolish anything He has made. Jesus came to fulfill and with that understanding in mind we would do much better and travel a much safer journey in our understanding of the truth if we would admit that our understanding has not always received it´s full light. It seems to me that Ellen White didn´t have it all made concerning this at first.....but she had to research and study, and so she did. She didn´t settle for an easy way out in understanding the truth. And the result was that she gained an understanding , both from her visions as well as from her studies. Ellen White´s method of research obviously was that the Bible had so much more to say than men can at all times understand. She based her methods of research on a Christ centered truth and I found it beautiful in the text book “Messenger of the Lord! when she was quoted saying; “only the mind and heart cleansed by the sanctification of the Spirit can discern heavenly things”. Ellen White clearly knew what she was talking about...her method was not only to gather information, but to give her heart to Jesus Christ as well. And while reading about EGW concerning the Ellipse of Truth, I was enormously blessed by all the theological insights she gained in her studies. And I find that very logical that God can entrust such people with the truth, those who earnestly seek Him and are yearning for a clean heart. Therefore such people would love the law, because the truth of God is always consistent with one another. And when we love the law , we love God because the law describes the very nature of God. Yet, it is obvious that EGW was not always right on each issue, but she had a humble heart and could admit that a light had not been given to her in this and that area. But that didn´t always make her sit and wait for a revelation. She understood how important time was for her and her life...a lot of work had to be accomplished and she knew that God had chosen her for a special purpose. Therefore human aspects often did not come together with her special calling, she probably sometimes longed to be just human, to be tired and to be at peace. Very much like Jesus, and very much like everyone of us who are called to serve in the field...we sometimes become very human and yet we know that we could never continue our lives in any other way but to respond to the calling of Christ. And EGW understood that her work was for the benefit of all believers who loved to seek God´s truth. She knew her work would bring them comfort because it was of God and not of Men. I have been truly blessed by taking this course...and I feel that Dr.Hanna has given us so much to think about and work with and I am so grateful for the fact that Dr.Hanna has let God work through him in order for us , the other ones, to be blessed. I believe, that such is the true Spirit of Christ, to be taught by God in order to teach others as well. Lords blessings to you Dr.Hanna and your family, May God continue to use you to bless others with your understanding and wonderful insights into the word of God. Sincerely, Ragnheidur Olafsdottir
Allens Gilles GSEM 532 Prof. Martin Hanna 07-31-2007 Week four
One of the most difficult challenges for a writer is to be able to embrace a theme without loosing the main focus in the plurality of topics. Ellen White various writings was centered on the Great Controversy theme. Primarily her theology and other major doctrines that could be entailed were based on this theme. In this reflection paper I will try to present how the prophetic ministry of Ellen White is the foundation led to the development of Seventh Day Adventist institutions. These institutions are in reality the outcome of the great controversy theme and part of God’s Plan. Education institution and health institution are the two main pillars whereby the seventh Day Adventist church is known around the world. The practice of the health principles and all that it involves, is not a mere habit adopted by this group of Christian believers. Unlike other denominations; seventh day Adventist is unique in its approach correlating the physical wellness and the spiritual salvation. The reason why, is because of the great controversy theme and also the relevant of our message to the world. A seventh day Adventist believer needs to be prepared in all aspect of life in order to help himself and neighborhood. As did Jesus when he was on earth healing people from their diseases and consequently restored the image of his father in men. God’s love for us is not only to give us eternal life but also to prevent us to suffer from the consequences of Sin. Ellen White vision on Health aimed to the same purpose of God’s love: physical and spiritual restoration. So when I am talking to somebody about health principle I see myself showing to others the love of God. Other important matter that Ellen White revealed in the Great Controversy conflict is the human contribution in allying with the enemy. Whenever a human being accepts Satan schemes we invite him to become our master and thus be partaker of his army against God in his children. Jesus in His ministry on earth called his disciples the light of the world. Our mission as disciple is to dissipate the thick cloud darkness of this world in peril with the light of Christ. To do so, we need to be equipped in all sphere of life. And if we think that the enemy will let us work in his territory we are deceiving ourselves. It was not for the sake of being a good teacher that Jesus trained his disciple. It was for the purpose of a mission. It is the same for our educational institutions. To equip young people to be thinker and to be part of the great army that will overcome the devil and his followers with the all important truths. The health message and the educational institutions are powerful tool to spread ones theology. They are among the most important institutions because a lot of responsibility is involved and required. The health message in particular came in a vey critical moment not only for the New seventh day Adventist organization but also for the entire world. The principles of the health message given to Ellen White in the 1863 vision still in vigor in our midst, is the result of a unity of doctrinal harmonious matters. Eventhouh, Seventh day Adventist Educational institutions prepare their students primarily for the kingdom to come does not diminish in the other hand the possibility of preparing good citizen that serve the country.
Allens Gilles GSEM 532 Prof. Martin Hanna 07-30-2007 Week three
This paper is dealing with the different events that took place after the event of October 22nd 1844 until the establishment of the seventh day Adventist church. After Ellen G white received the vision in late December 1844 intended to encourage the faith of the believers she had to travel throughout the country to bring unity and work for the development of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. However the multiple efforts underwent by the White’s family encountered both encouragement and many obstacles. It was not an easy task for Ellen White after 1844 to unite the different fractions of the Millerite movement especially when her ministry was based on spiritual vision. Not only that many people claim to have vision which was not quite appreciated for the fact that at that time vision was often attributed to spiritualistic seances of mesmerism . In addition, the Millerite believers were divided in three group characterized each by their understanding of the second coming of Christ. As God had not forsaken his people and because his message is always misinterpreted a testimony of the accuracy of the scripture needed to be presented in order to correct the erring of the Church and to unfold God’s plan for the future. Ellen White message was heavily based on dreams and visions containing reproof and counsel. In several occasions either privately or in public she was supernaturally taken off in vision which was manly flashlight of the event. Many people testify of the genuineness and divine character of her visions. Even skeptics were converted after scrutiny verified and tested Ellen White on many aspects. Having said that, this spiritual gift did not place her in an infallible position. A prophet is a human being, just like Nathan told David to build the temple and afterward the Lord made him changed his way, Ellen white also had faced similar situation in her life time. Like we read in the book:” God has always selected the best for his purposes but only the best at that time. All prophets went through on the job training”. From what I understand from this section, I believe that God allowed certain people to verify the accuracy and the authenticity of Ellen white vision and message just because he wanted us to take heed of the purpose for which he Called Her. Bible Study and following by the confirmation of the light of the vision characterized Ellen White approach. The same principle must the same today, the Bibl should be considered as the primarily source of God’s revelation for his Church. Today when we incline to decide on certain ambiguous matter we need to go back to the source and consult the light of God on that issue. There are two issues presented in the book that are really helpful for me. The first one is the case of J.H. Kellogg, I have often heard seventh day Adventist complaining about our separation with Kellogg. I praise God for the prophetic ministry of Ellen White and the light she brought, revealing the character of the pantheistic theology of the late doctor. Without her intervention we don’t know what kind of God we would have been serving today. The other issue is with A.T Jones and E.J Waggoner, it happened that I often talk with former Seventh Day Adventist who are now become “Shepherd Rod”. Those people, for what I understand criticized the seventh day Adventist church for not accepting the doctrine of justification by faith presented in 1888 at the Minneapolis General Conference session. It is true that what they were presenting on justification by faith was biblical and thus encouraged by Ellen White but it is not wise to accept everything they said and turn it to be a separate entity. A.T Jones in particular accepted the pantheistic view of Kellogg. Ellen White prophetic ministry enabled the student of the Bible to disguise the true face of the pantheistic theology of Kellogg and the arrogant attitude of A.T Jones and E.G Waggoner pretending of being the scholar par excellence. When E.G Danielle President of the General Conference confronted to the hot topic of Kellogg’s issue not knowing what to do, a letter form Ellen White helped him to take the right decision. I personally think that we need more than ever the counsel of the prophet in the way that our institutions are administering. The devil knows our weaknesses and how powerful we can be if we follow God’s plan, concurrently he sends his arrows on our leaders in order to bring disgrace and shame to the rest of the body. We need to be vigilant and not leave too much power in the hand of a little group of people that will decide for so many souls. As it was at the time of the Messenger, today is not exempted we need reform in our institutions and the Holy Spirit to guide us in his teachings.
Allens Gilles GSEM 532 Prof. Martin Hanna 07-23-2007 Week two
This paper is intended to reflect primarily upon section ii of the book the messenger of the Lord. It is a book written by Herbert E. Douglas and focus on the prophetic ministry of Ellen G. White. Because of the significance of Ellen White writings and her various themes contributing for the enlightenment of the Seventh Day Adventist Belief a study of the person life remains undisputable. Ellen White was born in Maine, the largest city of Portland on November 26th, 1827. Her father, Robert F. Harmon and her mother Eunice Gould Harmon raised her in a religious environment of a Methodist Church along with her two brothers and five sisters. At the age of 9 years old little Ellen was severely injured when a girl from her school threw a rock that smashed her face and make it impossible for her to continue her academic education. At the age of twelve she was converted to the Methodist faith and received baptism afterward. Although baptized she was still troubled by the fear of not being able to be ready when Jesus will come. She attended at the Millerite meeting and accepted their teaching. Just like the other Millerites she experienced the great disappointment; however unlike the others, in the late December 1844 while a group woman was praying God gave her vision. It was a vision that contained a called for a prophetic ministry of the one who will become the most translated American author. In August 1846, Ellen White married James White from whom she mothered four sons which two were prematurely dead We saw in Ellen white, not only a real person, someone who knew how to laugh but also someone who had made people laugh. She was also an authentic counselor where young and adult could find salutary advices helping to the development of Christ character. In addition she was a kind mother and a courageous spouse who knew how to face financial hardship. Every time I am looking at the life of Ellen White and how the Lord had used her so miraculously, I conclude that certainly every one is here on earth for a purpose and no matter what the devil can possible do, God is still in control. Her story and the tone of works that she had produced testify about the accuracy of God’s promises. Through her life I realize that no matter how weak and insignificant I may appear to human eyes as long as I rest on the shadow of the almighty I can be a witness for the Kingdom and a benefit for the society. As an example for the relevance of her work, I came from a country were the illiteracy rate is very high as a result the health condition is very critical. You can imagine how hard it is to transmit scientific evidence when listeners are not educated. Subsequently the counsel of Ellen White transmitted through the channel of the Seventh Day Adventist Church make the information of certain health principle accessible for the common believers just by coming to the church. We know about the department of health in the church and why is it for. We can take this example to a higher level when taking the case of Loma Linda University and others Seventh Day institutions that is spreading around the world.
I have never considered Ellen White as a perfect woman neither that I will, nevertheless one thing I have a very hard to admit is the fact that people criticizing the lady even to the point of denigration. I am aware of people who try to apply the writings of Ellen White as they will do for the Bible eventhouh she was always against such an attitude. However from someone whose academic education is not even worth a simple basic sentence and thus is able to produce valuable works this person deserves great consideration. If it is beyond human competence and comprehension, I have to put the emphasis somewhere else or on somebody else. As God is the only one that can do what we can’t understand therefore I conclude that the ministry of Ellen G. White came from God and I need to treat her writings differently. Many denominations would love to have someone like Ellen White and her prophetic ministry. Look at the Mormons for instance, their prophet was an immoral but yet they Mormonism is on of the growing religion in America. I think we need to read the life of Ellen White and try to understand what message the Lord wants us to learn from it.
This week I reflected on several things that have become so much clearer to me now that I've been in this class. I think along with myself, other Adventist have not eompleted the proper research to clearly understand the role of the Spirit of Prophecy in Scripture, the church and our lives. One of the things that have become clearer to me is its role in Scripture. As mentioned in class, the only scripture that's used most of the time during service or an evangelistic series as evidence to support the face that the SDA church is the last day church to give a warnig to the world is Revelation 12:17, but as I have studied the other scriptures given in class to support the fact that the Spirit of Prophecy was given to the Angels (Rev. 22:8,9), to John on Patmos (Rev. 1:9,10), and dow to the church (Eph. 1:17,18) for the church to illuminate the world I no longer view it as something that ends with Ellen White. it ends with people who have given their hearts to Christ and live by faith in Hm through the indwelling Holy Spirit being a light in a dark place, and if the need arises God will raise another prophet up to do His will. I've never looked at or even thought abuot these scriptures in relation to the Spirit of Prophecy. Studying this subject thus far has revealed to me my lace of understanding of the scriptures on this important issue. There was a time when I didn't believe that God would call a prophet in these days. I thought having prophets speak or exist was done away with after the book of Revleation was written. I guess in essence I thought the gift of prophecy was null and void although I have no scriptural support for it. As I have received a better understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit and His gifts in this class I understand more clearly why God chose to give this special gift to the church. I see that sense He illuminates the world through the many gifts He has given He needs vessels to bare His gifts and He is willing to use anyone who is willing to be the receiver of them--especially in such a time as this. I always knew there were extra-biblical prophets but because of unbelief I never saw a need to open my mind to realize that God would use a prophet in these days. Not just Ellen White but anyone who actually walked this earth in these days. When the Holy Spirit convinced me of the truth about the Spirit of Prophecy I realized the one reason I didn't believe when it was presente to me with the use of the scripture (Rev. 12:17) was because I thought of Ellen White as a common person like me or any other person walking this earth today and sense she was just like me I thought it impossible that god would use anyone of us to bare such a precious gift. I also realized that I was viewing the gift and bearer of it according to my standards and what I though God could, would or not use. Praise God the Holy Spirit has been given us! Some other light I received from class was concerning the remnant, the institution and its function. As you knw from my question about off shoots of the SDA church I wondered how they fit in relation to the remnant and the institution. Understanding came as I understood who the remnant is. I saw that my view of the remnant was like some others who associate souls with the institution instead of with Christ who has died to save us. It is by having faith in Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit that makes one a part of the remnant. The church is a channel that God uses to proclaim His message to lead the world to Him not to the institution. Now I view the work of helping to win souls for His Kingdom in a different light. May God be pleased.
Kendrick N. Cid July 23, 2007 The Life and Ministry of EGW Professor: Martin Hanna MY PERSONAL REFLECTIONS FOR WEEK 2
In 2 Corinthians 3:2 it says, “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men.” It seems that Paul likes to spiritualize certain things to express something meaningful. In 1 Corinthians 6:19, it says “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” Also, in 1 Corinthians 3:16, it says, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” 2 Corinthians 6:16 says the same thing, “For you are the temple of the living God.” Again, Paul spiritualizes the Temple in the Old Testament in order to drive home its meaning in our current context. This means to me that I then become Holy because God’s temple is Holy. God sanctifies. He makes things Holy. I have to have life lived before God.
As I brooded over this subject, I began to think that the entire Scriptures, Old and New Testaments is our sanctuary of truth that represent a body of instructions of how God deals with sinners, how sinners approach a Holy God-Creator, and how sinners are to respond to God. Could it be that the ceremonial systems even in our day continue to guide us and provide us with instructions with regards to living our lives before God through the ministry of Ellen G. White? In other words, the ceremonial systems are being fulfilled in the hearts of people by the Holy Spirit not only through the Bible but also through the inspired writings of Ellen G. White. They still apply in our lives in a spiritual sense.
Another thing I brooded over this week is about the fact that Ellen G. White had dreaded the thought of the second coming of Christ in the 1840s because of her feelings of unworthiness which were directly related to her belief in an eternally burning hell. This gives anybody the idea that God delights in the torture of His creatures. She was faced with a confusing contradiction. It made it harder on her to believe in a God who lowers Himself down in order to save sinners from their sin. As I brooded over this subject this week, it was important to realize that if there is no immortal soul, there can’t be an eternally burning hell. A theological reflection on the nature of man would readily give a straightforward answer to this question. Later on, I found out from the writings of Ellen G. White herself some fascinating information about the kind of life which was given Adam and Eve. I am absolutely fascinated by the fact that for man to possess an endless existence, man needs to eat of the tree of life. If man stopped eating from it, he would ultimately die. Ellen White also wrote in Evangelism: “The word of God is our sanctification and righteousness because it is spiritual food. To study it is to eat the leaves of the Tree of Life” (138). Which is why Jesus Christ Himself said, “The words that I speak to you are Spirit and they are life” (John. 6:63).
Ultimately, there is one thing that God wants to sanctify with His presence, with His truth, with His Word and that is the heart/mind of every human being. I got excited about the text discussed in class this week which was Haggai 2:7 where it talks about “the desire of all nations.” This person is Jesus Christ who is of course the covenant bringer. The covenant is that God will “put His law in their minds and write on their hearts . . . ” (Jeremiah 31:33). Hebrews 10:16 speak of the same thing. It is interesting that in Haggai, the Lord gives a series of commands: (a) “Consider your ways” (1:5) (b) “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house” (1:8) (c) “Be strong . . . and work: for I am with you” (2:4) (d) “And I will shake all nations and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts” (2:7). And in chapter two God knocks down their pride; they are still unclean. But God says He will bless them. He will be with them. He will overthrow their enemies. God’s servants will be chosen. I believe that in 2:7 the phrase “this house” refers to the people of God. Since I am a temple of the Holy Spirit, I am that house. What a promise! How glorious. I must keep working then for God. Keep trusting, asking, and praying to Him.
I believe that it is to this end that the ministry of Ellen G. White comes into reality in my life. When it comes to the counsel of Ellen White on health matters and doctrinal matters, a life lived before God is the bottom line. I believe that the ultimate purpose of Ellen White and her writings and her counsels is to confront and urge us to live our lives before God in all areas of our lives (spiritually, physically, mentally, and socially). Unlike the biblical prophets, God uses another human being in such a mighty way, and although she is dead the message that God gives to us through her life, ministry and her voluminous writings are so relevant and that we still have a lot of catching up to do.
Christ in the Father and vice versa Although the lecture on the first day of class was very interesting, it was also somehow hard to grasp, at least for me, since it presented many ideas that were new to me. As Seventh-Day Adventists we believe in the concept of the Trinity, which for me is hard to understand. It goes beyond my understanding and imagination, so instead of trying to understand, I simply accept. I wrestle with the concept of the Holy Spirit, especially the verses found in John 14. It speaks that Christ is in the Father, and the Father in Christ. Furthermore, it speaks about the Comforter, that Christ has to go in order for the Comforter to come, and that because Christ is to leave we can do greater things than He did. (Does this mean that the Holy Spirit is more powerful?) Anyway, during the first lecture this concept was made clearer to my understanding.
1 Cur. 2:1, 2. “Declaring unto you the testimony of God... Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” Rom. 16:25. “The preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery.” Jesus Christ is the revelation of God; He came to reveal God to the world. It is the Father that sent Christ (see John 14:24).
Rev. 19:10. “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” According to 1 Cor. 12 there are different gifts of the Spirit, of which the gift of prophecy is one. It shows in the verses 7-11 that the Spirit has different ways to manifest itself. This is also stated in Revelation 1:4 (“seven spirits which are before his throne) and Isaiah 11:2 (different manifestations of the same Spirit). According to these verses, the testimony of Jesus is the Holy Spirit.
In conclusion to these points, Jesus Christ came to reveal God, the Father. The Holy Spirit came to reveal Jesus Christ to the world. Simply stated: God the Father --> God the Son --> God the Holy Spirit.
To make this point more complex, or more fully interconnected, there are four revelations, or testimonies of God: - Christ is the revelation of God - Testimony of Jesus which is the Spirit of Prophecy is manifested in Scripture - Church is revelation of God - Cosmos (all creation) is revelation of God It is all interconnected and making a perfect circle of God’s revelation.
Another interesting point comes from this weeks reading. Too many Seventh-day Adventists in the Netherlands, for whatever reason, do not read the books of Ellen White. The younger generations only hear the negative sounds from the older generation, therefore, they do not examine her writings themselves, to experience her rich writings herself. Section two of the book “The messenger of the Lord” was especially valuable in that aspect, because it shows an entirely different side of the life of Ellen White; it shows the woman behind the prophetess. Most people do not want to hear her messages or to be confronted with her writings. The interesting things I have read for this week will help me to show a different side of her, not only her “stern” side (which most people who are unfavorable of her, only look at), but her humor, her loving side, her caring side. Ellen White as mother, wife and all the other roles she fulfilled during her life.
To kill or not to kill Similar to the first week of class, the second week also presented many new ideas to me. We spoke about the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. Ancient Israel kept the letter of the law, but Jesus showed that the law goes deeper, He upheld a higher standard, pointing to the spirit of the law. However, as this subject was presented in class, it seemed somehow contradictory. “Thou shalt not kill” according to Exodus 20:13. The professor asked concerning this text, if it also applied to not killing bugs, animals. How about musquitos? But, as he continued, can we kill fellow human beings? He pointed out that we have to see this in the broader concept of the context. And yes, this has been troubling my mind for quite some time. Last weeks lecture brought it again to my mind. For if God asked (well, commanded actually) the Israelites not to kill, why did that same God tell that same people to kill the surrounding nations. Was it a mere exception from His own rule? Are rules (even eternal commandments which would be for ever and ever) changed according to events and within the context? Or are the rules not really rules but spiritual guidelines? (Theoretically, I know why the surrounding nations had to be killed. You don’t leave a rotten apple in with the good ones, for in doing so, all will be spoiled). But knowing and understanding is a different thing.
When I came home, I presented this matter to my husband, and asked him questions about the sixth commandment in a very difficult context. Suppose thiefs brake in your house and your family is sleeping, they brutally awake your wife (that would be me) and try to rape her, what would you do? Would you attack them in self-defense? Well, of course. But would you kill them, how far would you go? (Killing would not really be an option, for how would you do this? Not like there is a gun in the house or something.) Or should we apply Ellen White’s counsel to use our common sense here? Applying that would be to defend ourselves to whatever cost.
The spirit of the law goes so much deeper and beyond the letter of the law. Jesus said in Matthew 5:22, “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.” So, we already broke the spirit of the law when thiefs come in and we get angry. But, reading this, it says “without a cause”, obviously there is a cause when someone breaks in and harms your loved ones. Does this mean you are allowed to get angry when there is a cause? I guess so, Jesus got angry (angry with self-control!) when He saw how His Father’s house was defiled. Is it ok (not bad at least, but maybe not good either) when we get angry for a good reason without loosing our self-control?
On the other hand, would it be a denying of faith when we take matters in our own hands? Would it be wiser to pray earnestly “with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37)? And then trust God that He will interfere and save your family? Or would that be a denying of your faith and not living out your prayers?
While we were talking this over, and contemplating the new things (or not really new, but mind boggling for sure!), we didn’t come to an answer. It seems so complex, and yes, maybe it is dependable of the context. Or, doesn’t it matter what the context is? You should just never ever do it? As said, we didn’t come to an answer, time will tell, but I hope that time will never come!
While driving to school early morning these last couple weeks, I listened to the WAUS radio station, which is broadcasted from the Howard Performing Center at Andrews University. I noticed that the station isn’t profiled as a Seventh-day Adventist radio station. In my opinion at least, from the half hour each morning I listen to it. While I read the book ‘Messenger of the Lord’, I read about the problems concerning ‘The American Sentinel’ (pages 188-189). They wanted to drop the words ‘Seventh-day Adventist’ in order to “get a much broader and more favorable response” (pg. 188). Anyway, a new magazine was published, ‘Liberty’ which had the church doctrines attached to it, as well as the name Seventh-day Adventist and the number of readers increased greatly. Could this same principle be applied to the Andrews radiostation? Although they have a short spiritual moment in the morning (7:30 am - maybe more throughout the day but of this I am not aware), they do not profile themselves as religious that much. Jesus said in Matthew 10:32, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.” Could this be applied here? If this sation would confess Jesus, would it be mightily blessed from heaven? Can this station change the way their programs are, and repeat history (the way God blessed the magazine ‘Liberty’)?
To continue this reflection paper, I would like to say that (so far) during classes, I would have wished to learn more about Ellen White, her life and ministry. Not just reading it from a book, but hearing and learning insights into her life. Being an Adventist in the Netherlands, people do not value or treasure Ellen White as much as, perhaps, they should. Although, as I heard in class, Adventists here in America neither see her in a positive light too. But do people who say those things, whose opinions are so negative towards her, come to that conclusions for themselves or is it merely a copy of others? The latter is the case in the Netherlands for the most part. The younger generation absorbs the negative sounds that go around in Advent-world and makes it their own. They do not read and search her writing for themselves to see the rich treasures hidden in it, the spiritual uplifting journey, which the reading of her books actually are.
For this reason, I wished we talked more about Ellen White instead of problemtexts. So that a different side of the modern prophet could be shown in the Netherlands, that people might have a more balanced view of her life and ministry. And as a result of that, by the grace and help of the Holy Spirit, some might feel the desire to read her writings for themselves.
Another aspect where people make mistakes, is that they only read quotes. They read a certain statement (e.g. concerning marriage), and copy-paste this with other strong statements against marriage, and give that to people contemplating this important object. Yes, of course the prevailing view is negative. But if people for themselves would read her rich and well-balanced writings, such a different opinion would emerge. As the book points out, this practice of copy-paste and selective reading has been done for quite some time, even during the time when the author herself was still alive! And naturally, she strongly spoke against this.
Wayne C. Hosten GSEM532 Reflection Paper #1 7/13/2007
THE HUNT FOR ELLEN G. WHITE
If there is one thing evident from this week’s lectures and class discussions, it is clear that Ellen G. White occupies an unenviable position, being misunderstood. On the one hand, there are those who solely rely upon her rather than on a “Thus saith the Lord” while there are those who either outright disregard her prophetic ministry or her relevance for these modern times. From the tenor of the comments in this week’s class, I would say that most have encountered more of the former than the latter. However, I have encountered more of the latter. On numerous occasions, I have heard young and old alike question the validity and poignancy of Ellen White as a prophet and messenger, respectively. Perhaps the only solution to the competing interpretations of the ministry and role of Ellen White is to evaluate her in the light of Scripture. This week we attempted to do so, and I believe it will put us in a good stead not only for the class but also for the future. Fundamentally, we saw that the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev. 19:10). Hence, the root of all prophecy is a clearer revelation of Jesus, who He is and what He wants to do for us. To achieve this goal, the Scriptures, the Church, the Cosmos (all of creation), and extracanonical prophets are employed. The Scriptures via the Holy Spirit testify of Christ and form the basis by which we test all prophesies (John 5:39; 1Timothy 3:15-17; and Isaiah 8:20). The Church, in that, it is the illumination of God’s Word working to change and bring us into the image of Christ (1Cor. 3:18). The Cosmos through its declaration of the glory, majesty, caring, and creatorship of God (Psalms 19:4; 33:6, 9; Matt. 6:26, 28, 30; Rom. 1:20). The extracanonical prophets who although not memorialized through authorship within Holy Writ still had authority from God and whose office as prophet and commands were as binding. Nathan and Huldah come to mind. During this discussion, I can remember a question I had regarding the Church. Who constitutes it? Is it the church militant or triumphant? With all of the problems in the church can we really be epistles written by God and read of all men? If the pastor gets up to preach but preaches what is not according to God, do we say that although done in ignorance of the truth that he and his particular church are still apart of the constituted church of 1Corinthians 3? I am still searching for these answers and do not ascribe to the notion that our church, Seventh-day Adventist, is the final arbiter of truth, that would be the Bible. In evaluating the validity of the prophetic role of Ellen White, we saw that like with any prophet, the Bible must be the determining factor. Four tests were revealed. The prophet must be Christ centered (1John 4:1, 2), must be in line with Scripture not contradictory (Isa. 8:20), the prophecies must come to pass and be from God (Deut. 18:22), and the prophet’s life or character must reflect Godliness (Matt. 7:16, 20). Based upon Biblical tenets, we also determined that one must evaluate a prophet based on spiritual discernment, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit who gives differing gifts to all believers, and that the community of believers will further evaluate the prophet in order to recognize and submit to the office of the prophet. I remember asking the question on this point if that did not put validation of the prophet’s office in the hands of the people rather than in the hands of God. It was clarified that ultimately, regardless if the people heed the warnings, admonition, and advice of the prophet, it is God who gives the office and His Word validates the prophet. Lastly, the idea of relevance has been playing repeatedly in my mind. In the diagram presented in class as the “Wheel of Theology”, we maintained that Christ was the center, the Bible was the spokes, and the message must be relevant to the world one lives in. I think one can see the danger of relativism if left just here but if we take a holistic view rather than solely inclusive or exclusive we may insulate ourselves from the danger of relativism. Yet, again, in my experience thus far, many are losing the relevance of Ellen G. White’s ministry in their lives. As we go along, I hope I become more knowledgeable about her so I can share her with others.
Wayne C. Hosten GSEM 532 Reflection Paper #2 7/19/2007
SAY WHAT?
As we have come to the end of our second week, the overall tenor of our discussions was the need for a holistic perspective in Seventh-day Adventist theology, which includes our understanding of the ministry of Ellen White. As to her ministry, when viewed holistically, we see that Ellen White is actually not extraordinary within the Biblical confines of the spirit of prophecy. She is a messenger of God (her choice word in describing her ministry). If the definition of messenger is simply one who bears a message from God, then Jesus, angels, prophets, apostles, deacons, preachers, elders, and the church for that matter are messengers from God for a unique purpose (Mal. 3:1; Rev. 1:1, Hebrews 1:14; Rev. 1:20). Of course, in no way am I equating the human agents with the God Man, Jesus Christ but the point speaks to the continuity of the prophetic gift making its presence valid and relevant for our times. Hence, when evaluated by Scripture, and placed within its proper context, we learn that the ministry of Ellen White does not solely belong to the Seventh-day Adventist Church only but to the world. Throughout the week, examples were presented to make the point clear regarding the need for holistic perspective. Two examples touch on pillar doctrines of Seventh-day Adventism, the sanctuary and the law. The debate surrounding the sanctuary is whether it is and was literal or symbol, or literal and symbolic. I agree that it is literal and symbolic. Literal in that the earthly sanctuary did exist and was a copy or type of the Heavenly (Exodus 25-31; 35-40; Hebrews 5; 7-10) However, these sanctuaries are also symbolic of Christ’s sacrifice, longsuffering, advocacy, care and concern, and our ultimate vindication in and by Him as Judge. If we take the either/or approach, the sanctuary message would be incorrect and sadly become insignificant. The fact that Seventh-day Adventism is perhaps the only Christian denomination where the sanctuary plays a prominent role within its doctrinal framework, gives it a mission to share a Christ-centered sanctuary message. To accomplish this goal, a literal and symbolic interpretation is needed not only for those outside but within the church as well. We continued our holistic paradigm by applying it to the law. It is here, to be honest, that either I am confused or carry a misconception. I have been thinking, praying, and reading my Bible trying to understand or comprehend the following concept. It was presented in class that the Bible, the moral law and the ceremonial law seem to be equal and fulfilled in Christ Jesus. As a result, our traditional understanding that the ceremonial law was abolished or nailed to the Cross is problematic since it leaves us open to the charge that we are radically prooftexting by eliminating the portion of law, the ceremonial, we disagree with in order to defend a tenet we hold dear, the seventh day Sabbath of the moral law. But, if I understand the argument, we use fulfilled instead of abolished, then we can avert the charge by holding that nothing is abolished, that there is unity in the Law or Laws of God and Christ is at the center of each. In John 5:39, He is the focus of the Scriptures. In Matthew 5:17-18, He fulfills the moral law. In Ephesians 2:14-16 and Colossians 2:14-16, He fulfilled the ceremonial law. Although the holistic principle has its strong points, what gives me pause is the argument that nothing is abolished in Christ but all is fulfilled as well as the notion of the equality of the Bible, the moral and ceremonial laws. Although serving different purposes, there are keen distinctions that exist. Jesus Himself gave the ceremonial law, glorious in its own right, to Moses as a foreshadowing of His death. It laid out before humanity God’s immense love for us by sharing the length and breath He is willing to go for us to destroy the sin problem by unfolding the Sanctuary economy. The ceremonial law was also an evangelistic tool where it trumpeted to the world until Christ’s death that a loving God is willing to send His Son to die on our behalf. By offering morning and evening sacrifices and sharing the significance, Israel was to carry this message of hope to a world in need of it. The ceremonial law exposed us to the Heavenly sanctuary in that the earthly serves as its type. Hence, we glimpse Christ’s High Priestly ministry (Heb. 5:1-10:22). Nonetheless, the ceremonial law served its purpose and is no longer binding (Heb 9: 8-11). Its economy has ended although its lessons may remain (Eph. 2:14-16; Col. 2:14-16). However, the Moral Law still stands. It superseded the ceremonial law. In fact, the ceremonial law existed because of disobedience to the moral law. Christ’s death did not disannul it for it still exists (Matt. 5:17, 18; Rom. 7:7, 12; James 2:10-12; Rev. 22:14). Some would and do argue that Christians are not under the law but under grace therefore the Ten Commandments, are not binding upon them. To make the case, they point to Romans 6:14, “…for ye are not under law but under grace;” Galatians 3:24, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25) “But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster;” 2 Corinthians 3:17 within the context of law, albeit ceremonial, “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” Of course, Romans 14:5-6, “One man esteemed one day above another; another esteemed another day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6) He that regards the day, regards it unto the Lord, and he that regarded not the day to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks, and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.” However, a closer look at these texts would indicate that they in no way disregard the Moral Law. Romans 6:14 speaks to the condemnation of those who are guilty of the law but it does not get rid of it. In verse 15, Paul affirms the moral law’s existence even for those who have given their lives to Christ by saying, “What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” Galatians 3:24-25 merely shows us the multiplicity of the moral law in that it not only defines sin, condemns sin, and teaches the character of God but it also serves as an evangelistic tool to bring us to Christ. By showing us our true characters, we see our need for a Savior. The liberty found in Christ, as expressed in 2 Corinthians 3:17, is not a license to sin but our freedom from sin. In Luke 4:18, Jesus boldly proclaimed His mission to free people from the stranglehold of Satan and sin. Emphatically, both Paul and Peter warn Christians against the misuse of the liberty found in Christ as an excuse to fall back into sin in Galatians 5:13 and 1 Peter 2: 16, respectively. Romans 14:1-7 has been used to argue against the Sabbath Commandment. By pointing to the phrase, one regards the day unto the Lord while the other does not, it is inferred that a particular holy day is not important and those who do believe so and say so are being judgmental, thus violating the import of the apostle’s instruction. The argument is used regarding foods as well. However, the context of Paul’s letter to the Romans is important. The Christians were debating whether meat offered to idols prior to being sold was permissible for their consumption. As believers took sides, a judgmental attitude permeated among them. Paul craved for unity within the church without compromising the law of God (Romans 7:7, 12). As a result, Paul would not condone the breaking of the Sabbath by buying meat on the Sabbath. Thus, the day spoken here must either be a holiday, or festival but not the seventh day Sabbath. These distinctions between the ceremonial and moral laws are important. I have been questioned repeatedly by those interested in Adventism but who are confused by the prevailing view that the seventh day Sabbath was nailed to the cross. Yet, when shown the distinction, those receptive appreciated the clarity. Now, I do not assume for one moment that the intent of the holistic approach is to equate the two laws in such a way that the distinctions are not explained but it can easily appear to do so. Also interesting is the argument that if we abolish the ceremonial law we are intrinsically ridding ourselves of the Old Testament itself since it is referred to as the Old Covenant. Again, I do not quite follow. Perhaps we are better served by placing our focus on applicability. As we survey the Old Testament we find instances where practices prescribed by God had been modified such as the all-vegetarian diet (Genesis 1:29) to clean animal diet (Genesis 9:3), the change from a theocracy to a monarchy (1 Samuel 8:6-22), change from tabernacle (Exodus 25:9; 33:7-11; Hebrews 8:5) to temple (1 Kings 8; 9). However, tenets, principles, covenants, the plan of salvation remained. In the Old and New Covenant debate, context would be the better course of valor. We can apply the ceremonial system to the Old Covenant and say, yes, there are lessons we can learn and knowledge we can gain but we are under no Biblical authority to practice the ceremonial law, it is abolished. Yet, although the old covenant is no longer binding the Old Testament, as the Word of God still stands and is very relevant in our postmodern world of relativism (Psalms 119:105; Isaiah 40:8; Daniel 2;7-11; Revelation 11:3-13). This reflection has truly caused me to think, to pray, and to search the Scriptures. If this is the goal of the assignment, then mission accomplished. I hope I have been fair in my understanding or assessment of the holistic argument in regards to the law. If not, I look forward to clarity.
Wayne C. Hosten GSEM 532 Reflection Paper # 3 7/26/2007
WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE?
We ended our third week by coming full circle in addressing the relationship between ceremonial, moral, and natural law. I have a better understanding of the thesis that Christ’s death on the cross did not abolish the ceremonial or for that matter the moral, which can be inferred if we take the argument to its logical conclusion (Eph. 2:16; Col. 2:16). So what was nailed? The condemnation under which sinners are guilty of by breaking the law. Hence, Jesus is the lamb that taketh away the sins of the world available to everyone that believeth in Him (John 1:29; John 3:16). The thesis does allow for distinctions between the ceremonial and moral laws as stated in Scripture without abolishing the lessons and insights into the love, care, and concern of God for humans throughout earth’s history provided by the ceremonial law. As a result, “fulfilled” points to Jesus and places Him at the center of Torah, ceremonial, and moral laws thus giving a clearer understanding of each ones role in humanity’s salvation - past, present, and future. If we are going to be Christ-centered, Bible based, and relevant to the world, according to Dr. Hanna‘s model, then we are going to have to address what does it exactly mean to judge. Yet, there is a derivative issue stemming from our law discussion, which may be even more confusing, the issue of judgment. The “fulfilled law framework” was posited to enable us, as Seventh-day Adventists, to better address problem texts such as Galatians 3:24-25, Colossians 2:14-16, and Romans 14: 5-6. In Galatians 3:24-25, we understand that it pertains to both the ceremonial and moral law. For Colossians 2: 14-16, we may still have disagreement as to whether this is an either/or construct regarding ceremonial or moral law but it speaks against passing judgment. The same holds true in Romans 14:5-6 in that Paul admonishes the Roman believers to restrain all judgment upon each other regarding foods and the observance of special days. The takeaway principle is an injunction on Christians against exercising judgment against others. It is here, however, where I believe confusion emanates for Seventh-day Adventists as to our last day mission to warn, appeal, and share Bible truths that ultimately call for changes in relationship with God. In essence, who are we to judge! Judgment is the bogeyman in these postmodern times. How do we determine what is right and what is wrong? Then, who is right or wrong? Is there a distinction between what people do and who people are? If someone kills, we judge that to be wrong, do we judge the individual to be a murderer? If we do so, have we just exercised judgment against that person, “once a murderer always a murderer?” That may be an extreme example so I’ll bring it closer to home. Imagine I have an Uncle Bob who used to be a Seventh-day Adventist minister but now is a Pentecostal pastor who worships on Sunday and teaches others how to speak in tongues and await the secret rapture. How should I react to his “new light”? Should I avoid all conversations regarding religion and spirituality with Uncle Bob? I feel conflicted! I pray to be used by God. I pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit daily. I pray for family members, friends, and others who are not allowing the Lord to be Lord of their lives and Savior from their sins. I am called to give and live a last day message of warning before its too late. I have to say something. Do something. Evangelize! Am I being judgmental? After all, who am I to determine whether anyone is in a saving relationship with Jesus or not? They could be closer to Christ than I. May be I should not be interceding on the behalf of others before the Throne Room of God since my petitions can be based on observations of behavior not found in the Word of God that lays out how a Christian should walk, talk, and act. Either action I take regarding Uncle Bob is the result of my judging him. If I decide to do all I can to win Uncle Bob back to Bible truth, then I judge him to be in gross error. If I do nothing or do less than what God requires, then I judge Uncle Bob to be in a safe and saved position and as long as he loves Jesus, he will be saved even if practicing deception. As a result, there is no way not to judge so there must be a right and wrong way to practice it. I believe the Bible provides the answer. Judgment can be placed into two categories: of the person and of the action. In Matthew 7:1-5 and Luke 6:37, 42, Jesus warns against hypocritically judging people. The context is the parable of one who has a plank in the eye while trying to get the smaller log out of his brother’s eye. Jesus says that the individual who hypocritically judges will be judged by his own unfair standards. Perhaps that is why David said he would rather be judged by God, who is fair than humans, well we know how humans can be. Included in the definition of judgment is the term to pass sentence on. When we engage in this behavior, in essence, we are usurping the power and role of Jesus as Judge (1Timothy 4:1; Revelation 22:11-12). In fact, humans will only take part in judging others during the millennium (1Corinthians 6:3; Revelation 20:4, 6). Therefore, if we are making plans for heaven, then we have to leave the sentencing up to Jesus. Does this mean then that all judgment is off limits to us on this side of Heaven? No. We can make the distinction between passing sentence and exercising spiritual and common sense. What is in my best interest? What makes sense? Whom should I hang out with and still keep my Christianity? Should I really be looking at this movie or going to the club (only to witness of course)? We must make judgments or choices because there are eternal consequences. Joshua in his last address to Israel made them choose between serving God or the pagan gods. God had brought them out of Egypt, gave them food in the desert, clothes that never wore out, and a land of milk and honey. They decided to follow God based on His goodness to them after they judged Him to be fair and faithful (Joshua 24:15-19). Choices or judgments must be made. Elijah on Mount Carmel clearly demanded that the people “stop halting between two opinions, either follow God, if He is God or baal, if he is god” (1Kings 18:21). We make judgments everyday. One of the best I ever made was in marrying my wife. She is the gift that keeps on giving! Yet, in choosing her, I judged, if you take it to its logical conclusion, that no one else on the entire earth was worthy of being my wife except her especially, when I believe that God brought us together for His purpose and our joy. Nonetheless, we have been married for four years because of our actions toward each other, which influence our choice and exercises our judgment to remain so. Jesus informs us of this principle in Matthew 7:16, 20 when He says, “Ye shall know them by their fruits … wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” He goes on to share that a good tree will and can only bear good fruit and a corrupt tree will and can only bear evil fruit. This is controversial but Jesus never said that it would not be. Is he saying that by one’s behavior we can tell where their heart is? Alternatively, does the fruit bearing process take time and we should not rush to judgment? To be honest, I do not know. What I do know is that Jesus, the patriarchs, the judges, the prophets, the kings, the apostles, Wycliffe, Hus, Jerome, the Waldenses, the Reformation Reformers, the Wesleys, the Whites, and even us today and countless others throughout history were not afraid to call sin by its right name and sinners to come to repentance even though they themselves were sinners. Is that hypocritical judgment? Not when led by the Holy Spirit, grounded on the Word of God, done in the love of Christ Jesus, and never forgetting what we were and who He is! This seems to be the right way to judge. Seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance, be grounded on Biblical truth, if directed to give a reproof by the Holy Spirit since we are our brother’s and sister’s keepers, we ought to do it in love remembering what Jesus did and does for us. There are no guarantees and it is risky but that comes with the title, the robe, and the life of the Christian. In our relativistic world, there is no absolute anything. This is not the age of the definite article. We live in waves of truth, good, and correctness among a sea of truths, goods, and correct ways. However, to use the definite article, “the” requires one to make a decision, a choice, dare I say, exercise judgment. In our society, sacred and secular, this exposes one to the charge of being judgmental, closed, and narrow-minded. Again, while one of the goals of our model: Christ-centered, Bible based, and relevant to the world, assists us in answering and, moreover, living out difficult passages of Scripture, such as Romans 14:5-6, a clear understanding on Biblical judging in light of the ecumenical environment we find ourselves in would be helpful as Adventists wrestle with the need to be distinctive (Matthew 5:13-16; John 17:9-15; 1 Peter 2:9) yet not be isolationist thus impeding the evangelistic command of Christ (Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8; Revelation 14:6-12). Perhaps, in our study of the life and ministry of Ellen G. White, we have an example
In 2 Corinthians 3:2 it says, “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men.” It seems that Paul likes to spiritualize certain things to express something meaningful. In 1 Corinthians 6:19, it says “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” Also, in 1 Corinthians 3:16, it says, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” 2 Corinthians 6:16 says the same thing, “For you are the temple of the living God.” Again, Paul spiritualizes the Temple in the Old Testament in order to drive home its meaning in our current context. This means to me that I then become Holy because God’s temple is Holy. God sanctifies. He makes things Holy. I have to have life lived before God.
As I brooded over this subject, I began to think that the entire Scriptures, Old and New Testaments is our sanctuary of truth that represent a body of instructions of how God deals with sinners, how sinners approach a Holy God-Creator, and how sinners are to respond to God. Could it be that the ceremonial systems even in our day continue to guide us and provide us with instructions with regards to living our lives before God through the ministry of Ellen G. White? In other words, the ceremonial systems are being fulfilled in the hearts of people by the Holy Spirit not only through the Bible but also through the inspired writings of Ellen G. White. They still apply in our lives in a spiritual sense.
Another thing I brooded over this week is about the fact that Ellen G. White had dreaded the thought of the second coming of Christ in the 1840s because of her feelings of unworthiness which were directly related to her belief in an eternally burning hell. This gives anybody the idea that God delights in the torture of His creatures. She was faced with a confusing contradiction. It made it harder on her to believe in a God who lowers Himself down in order to save sinners from their sin. As I brooded over this subject this week, it was important to realize that if there is no immortal soul, there can’t be an eternally burning hell. A theological reflection on the nature of man would readily give a straightforward answer to this question. Later on, I found out from the writings of Ellen G. White herself some fascinating information about the kind of life which was given Adam and Eve. I am absolutely fascinated by the fact that for man to possess an endless existence, man needs to eat of the tree of life. If man stopped eating from it, he would ultimately die. Ellen White also wrote in Evangelism: “The word of God is our sanctification and righteousness because it is spiritual food. To study it is to eat the leaves of the Tree of Life” (138). Which is why Jesus Christ Himself said, “The words that I speak to you are Spirit and they are life” (John. 6:63).
Ultimately, there is one thing that God wants to sanctify with His presence, with His truth, with His Word and that is the heart/mind of every human being. I got excited about the text discussed in class this week which was Haggai 2:7 where it talks about “the desire of all nations.” This person is Jesus Christ who is of course the covenant bringer. The covenant is that God will “put His law in their minds and write on their hearts . . . ” (Jeremiah 31:33). Hebrews 10:16 speak of the same thing. It is interesting that in Haggai, the Lord gives a series of commands: (a) “Consider your ways” (1:5) (b) “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house” (1:8) (c) “Be strong . . . and work: for I am with you” (2:4) (d) “And I will shake all nations and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts” (2:7). And in chapter two God knocks down their pride; they are still unclean. But God says He will bless them. He will be with them. He will overthrow their enemies. God’s servants will be chosen.
I believe that in 2:7 the phrase “this house” refers to the people of God. Since I am a temple of the Holy Spirit, I am that house. What a promise! How glorious. I must keep working then for God. Keep trusting, asking, and praying to Him. I believe that it is to this end that the ministry of Ellen G. White comes into reality in my life. When it comes to the counsel of Ellen White on health matters and doctrinal matters, a life lived before God is the bottom line. I believe that the ultimate purpose of Ellen White and her writings and her counsels is to confront and urge us to live our lives before God in all areas of our lives (spiritually, physically, mentally, and socially). Unlike the biblical prophets, God uses another human being in such a mighty way, and although she is dead the message that God gives to us through her life, ministry and her voluminous writings are so relevant and that we still have a lot of catching up to do.
IS ELLEN WHITE AND THE SABBATH A SCHOOL MASTER, TOO? July 30, 2007 The Life and Ministry of EGWhite
MY PERSONAL REFLECTIONS FOR WEEK 3
IS ELLEN WHITE AND THE SABBATH A SCHOOL MASTER, TOO?
It was interesting how in class professor Hanna mentioned that not only the ceremonial and moral laws but also “natural law is also a schoolmaster” that leads us to Christ. White explains that the Sabbath will point our minds to God’s creation. “The Sabbath calls our thoughts to nature, and brings us into communion with the Creator” (DA, 281). Nature in turn will speak to our senses and declare that there is a Living God (Psalm 19:1, 2). God created the sounds of birds and brooks and waterfalls for me. Nature, God’s creation, was really the first book. We generally speak of nature as the second book, although nature was really God’s first lesson book for Adam and Eve. White says that the Sabbath is both a memorial of the work of creation and “a sign of God’s power and His love” (DA, 281). It is a sign of His authority (It gives us the reason why worship is due to God alone (DA, 437). The Sabbath “points to Him as both the Creator and the Sanctifier” (DA, 287). The Sabbath is a sign of Christ’s power to make us holy. He is inviting us to rest in His finished work.
One thing that I have learned in class that has been very helpful is that we must study Ellen White’s writings holistically, contextually. Her writings are not to take the place of common sense either. And when we read her writings, we need to make sure that we are getting the principle she is trying to point out. For example, the phrase that the health message is “the right arm of the gospel” must be understood in its rightful context. To completely understand what she meant by it, therefore, compels me to examine when she began using this phrase, how she uses it, the situations in which it is being used. I once sought help from an evangelist about how I might continue to converse with people at my church who were militant in proclaiming that the right arm of the gospel is the health message. My evangelist friend simply helped me recognize that the right arm of the gospel may very well be the health message, but it is not the gospel. Well, that settled it for me.
The class discussion on the Adventist view of the Law and Ellen White’s thinking was exciting. I argue that no Law is abolished at all because Jesus said that He did not come to destroy the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill (Matthew 5:17). Paul himself said that “the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (Romans 7:12). Paul also says that we establish the law and not make void the law through faith (Romans 3:31). So, I’d rather face the difficult question of why not keep the ceremonial law then? I think a more relevant question is: Do ceremonial laws have an effect on life lived before God? I like the idea that when I eat meat I must think of the Lamb who came to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
At the moment I am reflecting on the 7th day Sabbath and its significance. And I agree with professor Hanna that the Sabbath must be viewed in the light of the Cross of Christ. First of all, the Sabbath if viewed from creation is a gift, an invitation to rest in God’s finished work. It is interesting to realize that Adam and Eve were already invited to rest not having done any work yet. This tells us that God is our provider but also our Creator. The Sabbath is also a gift of grace in that it is an invitation to enter into God’s finished work of redemption. During the week, our feeble lives are exposed to spiritual and physical decay. Grief, anxiety, discontent, remorse, guilt, distrust, all tend to break down the life forces, and to invite decay and death. White claimed that “sickness, suffering, and death are [the] work of an antagonistic power. Satan is the destroyer; God is the restorer.” But on the Sabbath, Christ says: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28, 29). It is so important to realize that when Jesus said, “come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,” it was on a Sabbath day.
Four Revelations of God and His People By Jinha Kim
Throughout this week’s class discussions, lectures and reading from Messenger of the Lord by Herbert E. Douglass, I have been impressed and inspired by the significance of the Word of God as an animating, breathing and empowering force that reveals not only the character and plan of God but also the character and role of His remnant church. The four revelations, the creative Word realized in the Cosmos, the Incarnate Word lived out in Jesus, the inspired Word penned in Scripture, and the illuminated Word preached in the lives of His people, not only show the awesome omnipotence of our Creator, Savior, Author, and High Priest, but they also show the wonderful potential of God’s creation of living out His Word in their hearts, worship, teachings and fellowship. As God’s remnant church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is challenged and privileged with a unique mission to fully realize this potential and to elevate both God’s revelations of Himself and His revelations of His people. The first revelation, the creative Word realized in the creation of the world, simultaneously reveals God as Creator and His people as His creation. This revelation gives God’s people an identity. They are not here by chance; they were created for a purpose, a relationship. Furthermore, God’s followers are imbued with a special identity, since they have been recreated in God’s image. The same power that animated each word in the sentence “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3) quickens the stony heart with the words “Ye are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). The same intensity that divided the light from the darkness, the land from the waters, divides the holy from the unholy and says, “Thy sins are forgiven thee. Go and sin no more” (John 8:11). The same intimate touch that formed Adam from the dust of the ground and the breath of God recreates a heart of flesh in His image. This conversion experience ought to be as powerful as the Creation story; every testimony should be a miracle of life coming out of death. Seventh-day Adventists bear the identity of the remnant church because we “keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:16). I was inspired by Ellen White’s own spiritual awakening “Along with a focused theology that captured the main theme of the Bible came a fresh, captivating picture of God that charmed her into a deep, dynamic relationship with her loving and gracious friendly Lord” (Douglass 68). Is our testimony and identity founded upon the recreation experience? Is the creative Word working dynamically to mold us into His image? Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word, God who became man, Immanuel, also reveals His purpose for His people. He did not come as the mighty Creator of the world, the ruler of the universe, but as a humble human being, able to bleed and to die. The Word of God, which had created time in the sun, moon and stars and space in the firmaments and lands, is suddenly concentrated into one solitary life, limited in time and space. In his essay, The Solitary Life, Dr. James A. Francis describes Jesus as a man “born in an obscure village . . . He never wrote a book. He never held an office . . . [and yet] all the armies that ever marched . . . and all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as that One Solitary Life” (Francis). Our purpose as the remnant church is to lift up this life, so that we might also influence others not only where and when we are, but unto eternity and to the world. Our identity as the remnant church is as witnesses to the testimony of Jesus Christ, despite the solitary sufferings that may come. The life of the prophetess Ellen White was such a life, who knew the “bleakness of discouragement” (Douglass 74) and loneliness of her calling. However, she persevered through loving service. The third revelation, the inspired Word penned in Scripture, can also be applied to a deeper understanding of our mission. The Bible is a collection of God’s thoughts and words expressed in human language. Sometimes, they were dictated, but most often, the accounts of Scripture were inspired expressions of an idea. Thus, they reveal God’s character and will through human words as best they can. As His remnant church, we are to apply this understanding to our lives as well as to the test of the prophets. We are not robots that react to God’s direct commands for every issue; rather, we are inspired by God’s ideas, principles and commands to express those values through our individual decisions and actions. When we read Ellen White’s writings, just as when we read the Bible, we are not to take each word at face value but as part of this general holistic approach to revelation. Mrs. White objected to people saying, “Why, Sister White has said so and so . . . and therefore we are going right up to it.’ God wants us all to have common sense, and He wants us to reason from common sense. Circumstances alter conditions. Circumstances change the relation of things” (96). We are called to use our “sanctified common sense” (96) rather than to be spiritual babes, relying on counsel rather than studying and praying for ourselves through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Paul expresses his frustration with the Hebrews: “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness” (Hebrews 5:12,13). The Hebrews still clung to teachings rather than understanding profoundly and personally the truth that they needed to be able to share with others. The same spiritual immaturity is prevalent today and existed during Mrs. White’s time, when people objected to grammatical edits to her Testimonies on the erroneous belief that every word was dictated by God (Douglass 120). As the remnant church, are we truly studying the Bible seeking for the hidden treasures, or have we become complacent, using her writings and visions as a crutch to delude ourselves into thinking that what we know is more than enough? The final revelation of God through the illuminated Word preached in the lives of His people is really for our benefit. God can convert people through the world, the Bible, the life of Christ and angels and visions, if need be. Why does He allow us to share in this fishing of men? For that matter, why does He allow men and women to be co-creators through reproduction? Why did Jesus have to rub shoulders with mankind? Why did God inspire men to write the Bible, rather than carving them out on stone as He did the Ten Commandments? Why does God work with and through sinners? From the beginning to the end, God does all this to save us. He awakens our dead hearts by speaking the Word of life; then He is born in our hearts as the Word in flesh, not stone; then He inspires us to express His character and Word in our own personal languages; and finally, the Word becomes the Church, the body of Christ, with Jesus as the head and we as different members with diverse spiritual gifts. We become complete when Christ lives in us and among us as we work and fellowship together to bear His testimony. How are we to fully realize this potential? During class, Professor Hanna suggested making the boundaries around the Church coarser so that people could be brought into our fellowship in stages. There are supporting and independent ministries outside of the Church administration that help bridge an individual from the streets to the pews. Why not go further? What about more interactions with other denominations? And the community? Other local non-profit organizations and schools? Imagine a Seventh-day Adventist church co-sponsoring a blood drive with the Episcopalian church. Imagine a Seventh-day Adventist youth group singing Christmas carols with the Catholic school at a nursing home. Why are we so afraid of interacting with others? Are we afraid of being contaminated with false doctrines? But God is stronger; we can more than overcome evil with good. Do we not have the truth? Do we not have the testimony of Jesus? Why can’t we share our faith and lives with others positively, not merely through words of debate, but through the Word – the enjoyment and study of nature together, the contemplation of the life of Jesus, the opening of Scripture together, and the sharing of testimonies as a community? Douglass notes that “Mrs. White enjoyed responding to invitations from non-Adventist churches” (129) and that she spoke at Methodist, Baptist and other churches, as well as in town gatherings where prominent people attended. I believe that the Seventh-day Adventist church needs to interact much more with their local communities and Christians, so that people can see that indeed, we have the testimony of Jesus. Professor Hanna rightly stated that “we love parts of Ellen White that confirm the status quo of where we are already rather than seeking to grow” (paraphrased). Is it possible that our church is using this great gift of prophecy as a comfortable cushion rather than seeking to gain deeper insights from the four revelations, which are the foundations of her writings? Is this complacency leading our church to become hostile to other people and denominations, thinking that we have all the truth and that others have nothing good to share? I searched the Adventist website and found that we do have interdenominational and community projects abroad, such as a recent program that began on June 27, 2007 led by first lady Laura Bush involving ten faith groups working together to eliminate malaria in eastern Africa. But what about in North America? What about local communities? Do the residents of South Bend, Indiana know at least one Adventist intimately? Have they ever interacted with Adventists through common interests or community goals? The four revelations of God, as well as the counsel and example of Ellen White, challenge us as individuals and as a Church to mature in our spiritual development and role in our world. We are to take the Word of God seriously, so that it may produce life and multiply not only in our hearts but in our community. We are to let this Word become flesh in our hearts through the Spirit, to share it in the written form, and to publish it in our lives and love. Only when we continually learn from these revelations, only when we share and learn them with each other, can we truly be the remnant church, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus. And that identity, mission and purpose all begin with me, with my recreation, rebirth, and revival.
Works Cited Douglass, Herbert E. Messenger of the Lord: The Prophetic Ministry of Ellen G. White. Nampa: Pacific Press, 1998. Francis, Dr. James Allan. “Arise Sir Knight!” The Real Jesus and Other Sermons. Philadelphia: Judson Press, 1926. pp 123-124. Oliver, Ansel. “Inter-Faith Coalition Launches Anti-Malaria Campaign.” Adventist Church Official Website. June 28, 2007. Seventh-day Adventist Church. July 13,2007.
GSEM 532 Paper 2: Spiritual Coming-of-Age By Jinha Kim
This past week, during the lectures, discussions and readings, I was truly challenged to develop my spiritual intelligence. Until now, I have been approaching the Scriptures and Ellen G. White with pre-conceived beliefs, and although I saw new insights in bible passages here and there, I had been studying both writings with a myopic lens. Rather than approaching each passage and topic systematically, within its context not only of the chapter, but of God’s revelations as a whole, I have been using the text to reassert the points I already approved. Ellen White herself had said, “Do not feel that you can dissect them [Testimonies] to suit your own ideas…” (Testimonies, vol 5, p 691), and Douglass says in Messenger of the Lord, “Some accepted the parts with which they agreed, and rejected ‘those portions which condemn their favorite indulgence’ (Douglass 172). I was challenged this week to honestly struggle with the question, “Am I willing to accept all that God reveals to me through His diverse methods of revelation?” And perhaps more importantly, how can I integrate and personalize the revelations so that I can truly grow in my relationship with God? How can I make the whole greater than the sum of the parts? While seeing my need for a new approach to the interpretation of Scripture and Ellen G White, I am encouraged by two examples: that of Peter and Mrs. White herself. “No prophet saw the whole picture from start to finish . . . they had much to learn, much to unlearn. As a result, their messages became more precise as time continued” (Douglass 155). I thank God that He does not give us “mental or spiritual indigestion” by giving us more than we can handle, and I am encouraged that even Ellen White was human, after all. Just as Peter had to be given a vision to preach Christ the Gentiles, the prophetess had to be given visions to see a fuller light on different issues, such as what time the Sabbath begins. John N. Andrews made a biblical study and wrote a paper saying that it should begin at sundown, but Ellen White and Joseph Bates were against his findings until she had a vision. “Bible study, confirmed by vision, continued the general rule in the development of Adventist theology” (Douglass 156). She also received counsel about health but did not always immediately live up to what she learned. I have often felt guilty for not being able to live up to the full light of what I have been taught, regarding health, holy living, need for evangelization, etc. But I am going to focus now on letting God reveal to me one thing at a time as I genuinely and carefully study and pray over each issue of my life. Rather than burning out like Jonah’s gourd after a growth spurt, I would rather grow steadily and provide long-term shade like Abraham’s tree at Mamre. Peter’s example also encourages me in my new struggles. When Peter saw Jesus walking on water, he asked, “Lord, if it’s you…tell me to come to you on the water” (Matthew 14:28). When Jesus said, “Come,” Peter “got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:29-31). This week, I have glimpsed Jesus in a new light, and I want to walk on water to be closer to Jesus. I want His Word to enable me to “Come” and keep my eyes on Him. I realize that my focus needs to be on Jesus always, so that whether I am treading on new struggles, revelations and changes, or on solid ground, that I can ever grow closer to Him. If I see the wind of theories, doubts and unanswerable questions, I will be afraid and begin to sink in the quarry of interpretations and the murkiness of legalism versus liberalism. I want to just look at Christ so that the waters will bring me closer to Christ rather than drowning me. Through the questions and the wrestling, I want to grow rather than be pulled down. Faith is not the act of stepping on water but believing in the relationship between my Lord and me. I’m keeping in mind the quote by Ellen White that “In the Bible, there are some deep waters where even an elephant may drown, and some shallow waters where even a babe can wade” (paraphrased). Whether the waters be shallow or deep, I am excited about walking closer to Jesus, following His call to come. The examples of Ellen White and Peter have encouraged me to keep that relationship with Jesus the center of my search for the answers to the questions I asked above. How am I to understand God’s will for my life as well as for His church? Peter wanted so desperately to do right (he cut off the soldier’s ear, for example) that he did more harm than good. His zealousness for defending Christ made him blind to the will of Christ! I want to be able to discern God’s will through diligent and constant study and prayer rather than continue to merely defend what I already believe and practice. John the Baptist was the “lesser light, which was to be followed by a greater light.” I want to be the star of Bethlehem that leads people to Christ. I am struggling with the idea that “When God makes His will known, it will be revealed to more “than two or three. He will teach his church their duty” (Testimonies, Vol. 1, p 207). I am struggling to understand whether there is a standard of Sabbath-keeping or whether it is per individual conscience. I am trying to understand the duty of the church and of the pastor. I am struggling with His calling for me. Ellen White said: “I have felt for years that if I could have my choice and please God as well, I would rather die than have a vision, for every vision places me under great responsibility to bear testimonies of reproof and of warning, which has ever been against my feelings, causing me affliction of soul that is inexpressible. Never have I coveted my position, and yet I dare not resist the Spirit of God and seek an easier position” (selected Messages, book 3, pp 36,37). I pray that the Spirit of God would so burden me with the truth of His testimonies so that I may have a message for the people, a message that will point them in that closer walk towards Jesus. I pray that I may ever have a spirit of humility, wanting to learn and yet able to teach. I pray that this would be the beginning of a true spiritual maturity.
Kendrick N. Cid July 23, 2007 The Life and Ministry of EGWhite REFLECTIONS FOR WEEK 2
AN EPISTLE AND A TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
In 2 Corinthians 3:2 it says, “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men.” It seems that Paul likes to spiritualize certain things to express something meaningful. In 1 Corinthians 6:19, it says “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” Also, in 1 Corinthians 3:16, it says, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” 2 Corinthians 6:16 says the same thing, “For you are the temple of the living God.” Again, Paul spiritualizes the Temple in the Old Testament in order to drive home its meaning in our current context. This means to me that I then become Holy because God’s temple is Holy. God sanctifies. He makes things Holy. I have to have life lived before God.
As I brooded over this subject, I began to think that the entire Scriptures, Old and New Testaments is our sanctuary of truth that represent a body of instructions of how God deals with sinners, how sinners approach a Holy God-Creator, and how sinners are to respond to God. Could it be that the ceremonial systems even in our day continue to guide us and provide us with instructions with regards to living our lives before God through the ministry of Ellen G. White? In other words, the ceremonial systems are being fulfilled in the hearts of people by the Holy Spirit not only through the Bible but also through the inspired writings of Ellen G. White. They still apply in our lives in a spiritual sense.
Another thing I brooded over this week is about the fact that Ellen G. White had dreaded the thought of the second coming of Christ in the 1840s because of her feelings of unworthiness which were directly related to her belief in an eternally burning hell. This gives anybody the idea that God delights in the torture of His creatures. She was faced with a confusing contradiction. It made it harder on her to believe in a God who lowers Himself down in order to save sinners from their sin. As I brooded over this subject this week, it was important to realize that if there is no immortal soul, there can’t be an eternally burning hell. A theological reflection on the nature of man would readily give a straightforward answer to this question. Later on, I found out from the writings of Ellen G. White herself some fascinating information about the kind of life which was given Adam and Eve. I am absolutely fascinated by the fact that for man to possess an endless existence, man needs to eat of the tree of life. If man stopped eating from it, he would ultimately die. Ellen White also wrote in Evangelism: “The word of God is our sanctification and righteousness because it is spiritual food. To study it is to eat the leaves of the Tree of Life” (138). Which is why Jesus Christ Himself said, “The words that I speak to you are Spirit and they are life” (John. 6:63).
Ultimately, there is one thing that God wants to sanctify with His presence, with His truth, with His Word and that is the heart/mind of every human being. I got excited about the text discussed in class this week which was Haggai 2:7 where it talks about “the desire of all nations.” This person is Jesus Christ who is of course the covenant bringer. The covenant is that God will “put His law in their minds and write on their hearts . . . ” (Jeremiah 31:33). Hebrews 10:16 speak of the same thing. It is interesting that in Haggai, the Lord gives a series of commands: (a) “Consider your ways” (1:5) (b) “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house” (1:8) (c) “Be strong . . . and work: for I am with you” (2:4) (d) “And I will shake all nations and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts” (2:7). And in chapter two God knocks down their pride; they are still unclean. But God says He will bless them. He will be with them. He will overthrow their enemies. God’s servants will be chosen.
I believe that in 2:7 the phrase “this house” refers to the people of God. Since I am a temple of the Holy Spirit, I am that house. What a promise! How glorious. I must keep working then for God. Keep trusting, asking, and praying to Him. I believe that it is to this end that the ministry of Ellen G. White comes into reality in my life. When it comes to the counsel of Ellen White on health matters and doctrinal matters, a life lived before God is the bottom line. I believe that the ultimate purpose of Ellen White and her writings and her counsels is to confront and urge us to live our lives before God in all areas of our lives (spiritually, physically, mentally, and socially). Unlike the biblical prophets, God uses another human being in such a mighty way, and although she is dead the message that God gives to us through her life, ministry and her voluminous writings are so relevant and that we still have a lot of catching up to do.
More Christ-centered? & the way E.G. White describes herself
Reflection on the first week lecture
When we discussed the criteria by which we evaluate a person, or an institution, someone used the phrase “more Christ-centered.” Then one question occurred to my mind: How can we say that someone or something is more Christ-centered than the other? For instance, in our conference a few years ago, there was a man who kept criticizing the church by saying that the church leadership was deviating from true Adventism, and he used the Scripture and quotations from E.G. White to support his argument, and debate occured. As a layperson, and a young student, I was not sure how I should deal with their opinions because both seemed reasonable in terms of the biblical basis. When we see someone in church disputing against someone else, it is not difficult to determine which position is more biblical by carefully examining the use of the Scripture. We can conclude that it is not biblical if the argument uses the Bible partially. The same principle can be applied when we evaluate the relevance of the argument to the world because an opinion that is irrelevant to the present situation tends to be extreme, and it is easy to distinguish which one is extreme.
The way E.G. White describes herself
When E.G. White described herself as a messenger of God as “a lesser light to lead men and women to the greater light”, it is possible that she had in mind the fourth day of Creation, when God created the sun and the moon: “God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night”(Gen. 1:16). She illustrates herself as the lesser light, the moon, and God as the greater light, the sun. I think that this is an adequate and beautiful metaphor to illustrate a prophet’s work. Human beings need the light of the sun to live, but we cannot directly see the sun because of the beam and heat. The moon shows us what the light of the sun is like. Similarly, E.G. White and other prophets are not God himself, but they can teach us what He is like by reflecting His light to us.
How to present/defend the authenticity of E.G. White
Reflection on the second week lecture
While numbers of Seventh-day Adventists, as well as non-Adventist Christians, find blessings in the writings of E.G. White, it seems that sometimes new believers hesitate to put an importance on her writings. Such people seem to think: that her teachings are sometimes so legalistic that they can not appeal to the mind of the post-modern generation; that since the Scripture is the only source of their faith, they do not feel the need for other materials; that since the authority of E.G. White as a prophetess is not clearly explained, they do not want to make effort on the study of her teachings. Each of the above statements can be answered by several means, and I think we spent most of the first two weeks of this session to discuss and try to answer the third argument. Since E.G. White is an indispensable figure in the Adventist theology, to leave such a question about her authenticity unanswered will bring about a distrust in church doctrine itself. The best way to evaluate the authenticity of E.G. White is to place her works in the context of the Scripture. However, to compare the biblical text with her writings word by word does not lead us to the proper understanding of her works. Since she wrote over 5,000 pages of manuscripts, a quotation from one part of the writing and the other from another can often create a conflict. As “Adventists are thought inspirationists, not verbal inspirationists” (P.120), we have to pay attention to the overall idea, not the individual words themselves. According to the textbook, some asserted that the fact that Mrs. White used editorial aids invalidated the writer’s authority. It is possible, however, that even bible prophets used editorial aids, or at least we cannot know the truth. Again, as we are not verbal inspirationists, we can accept the articles by E.G. White even if they were edited, as long as her thought is properly expressed in them.
Pantheism and Sanctuary doctrine & Interpreting a vision
Reflection on the third week lectures
Pantheism and Sanctuary doctrine
As a response to Dr. Kellogg pantheistic view, the opposed claimed that his theology was “contributing to the dismantlement of the sanctuary doctrine.” (P.202) It is not difficult to imagine that pantheistic idea was a threat to the Adventist theology, but I could not clearly see its relevance to the doctrine of sanctuary. The textbook presents the resolution by the General Conference session in 1905 which may answer the question above. However, I am wondering how we can approach this sanctuary issue by using the Christ-Scripture-Cosmic framework that we have been discussing throughout this session.
Interpreting a vision
Second question that was occurred to me when reading the section of Dr. Kellogg’s issue was, How much should a prophet interpret what s/he see in a vision? When she was dealing with the Dr. Kellogg’s problem, E.G. White saw a vision of an iceberg and a captain. After this vision, she did not reveal it to people as it was, but she interpreted it as a metaphorical message from God which meant that she had to break the silence and confront the controversy. This reminded me of how Daniel recorded what he saw in a vision. He just wrote down the vision, and did not try to interpret or apply it to the world of his time. However, that E.G. White interpreted the dream she had also recalled the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis, though it was not Joseph who saw the vision. He was given the inspiration to interpret the implied meaning of the dream of which the Pharaoh could not understand the meaning. This comparison between E.G. White and Daniel, or Joseph, led me to the conclusion that God inspired not only the words the prophets employed but also how they interpreted the vision He gave to them. We cannot say that which is the best attitude that a prophet should adopt.
I always had a feeling that our common Adventist understanding of the Spirit of Prophecy was based more on tradition, than on scripture. This is not to say that our fundamental doctrine concerning the gift of prophecy is invalid; rather, that the average Adventist has been taught and continues to believe that the Spirit of Prophecy is exclusive to the written testimonies and books of Ellen Gould White. In our attempt to validate our claim as the remnant as defined in the book of Revelation as those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony (faith) of Jesus, we have put a registered trademark (R) after the "testimony of Jesus" as the "Spirit of Prophecy." We have limited something the Bible clearly teaches as simply the Holy Spirit that evinces itself through a variety of vehicles: Jesus Christ himself, scripture, the church, and creation. White should be understood in the context of this model, otherwise we have done the Holy Spirit a disservice. Moreover, it is tragic that our Adventist church places such a great emphasis on the Spirit of Prophecy, but not on the Spirit for fear of being associated with the Pentecostal and charismatic movements. It is also ironic that we have boxed in the Spirit of Prophecy to such a great extent that if God were to genuinely send another prophet, we would find it quite difficult to accept him or her. Which makes me wonder if White was the only prophet that God sent since the Reformation. Even White agreed that God used the great Reformers of the Protestant Reformation to move the work of God forward and bring greater light to the Jesus Christ of the scriptures. This is not a faith-ending qurery, but it does make me ask how diligent I have been in testing the prophets as outlined by scripture. In addition, how would that change my understanding of prophecy if there had been someone who was sent by God whose words were a lesser light to the greater light. I must admit that despite my best attempts as being a balanced Adventist, it is hard for me to understand that White was simply one person in a great legacy of Holy Spirit inspired individuals. Even White distanced herself from the word prophet because she knew people would bring their personal definitions and assumptions about that particular term. That is why it is imperative for us to study and compare the various passages of scripture that deal with the issue of prophecy such as Revelation 12:17, 19:10, 22:8-9, and even 1 Corinthians 2:1-2, John 5:39-40, 2 Corinthians 3:2-3, and Romans 1:20. Not only do they shed light on the proper understanding of the gift of prophecy, but they also provide a framework for the Word: 1. incarnation (Jesus) = Word 2. inspiration (scripture) = Word 3. illumination (church) = Word 4. creation (cosmos) = Word This first week has been a paradigm-shift for me and I am continuing to build on this new understanding of Ellen White, the Spirit of Prophecy, the testimony of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. I have appreciated not only the lectures in class which have provided me this meta-narrative, but also Herbert Douglass' book which so far has provided the context of prophets and prophecy in the Bible, as well as the historical, cultural, theological, spiritual, physical, and personal backgrounds of Ellen White.
"EGW Still Encourages Adventists to Move Forward" Kevin KIm
As we travel further into the life and ministry of Ellen White, we are learning that she is a woman of great depth. Until now, she has only been presented as a caricature. It seems tragic that we have never actually known this prophet that we so often talk about. I wish all Adventists could learn about the life and ministry of White before learning her about testimonies. Even though I know that she is not infallible, I am just beginning to understand how White learned from her mistakes. Our misplaced definition of a prophet has contributed to how we think they should act. For example, when it came to her public reprimands, White realized she could have handled certain reproofs differently. Yet, in many cases, she felt public sins should be discussed in a public manner. A theological example of her growth was her fuller understanding of the law in Galatians during 1888. It is this erroneous view of how a prophet should act that contributes to our own taking on of the prophetic mantle. As pastors and theologians, we may speak in extremes as we attempt to move people in a particular direction. We believe we are justified in this particular approach, but often the result is that of the parishioners going beyond our dramatic injunction. While that may have never been our intent, in our rush to “prophesy,” we have neglected the need for moderation and balance. But as Jesus and Ellen White found out, this is no easy task because people tend to demand specific rules and live them literally rather than holistically. No where is this better evidenced than in the chosen nation of Israel. Was Israel chosen because it was holier than the other nations? Is it God’s ideal or was it because of the hardness of humanity? As the following diagram shows, there has a historic progression of people being called out. Nations Israel Christians Reformers Adventists. However, this calling out was never God’s perfect will. When God called his people out of Babylon, it was not because Babylon was so evil or because Israel was so perfect. If God’s people truly softened their hearts, this would be unnecessary. God’s ideal is not a new institution, but a reformation of the existing. But those who put emphasis on everyone else but themselves, start believing that since their message is prophetic and pure, so also is their institution. We should never believe that we are the perfect church. Even White had a balanced view of this dynamic. Those who use her writings to argue for a coming out, are not listening to the rest of her writings. She tried to protect the church from schism. And she did not say it is impossible for the church to fail. But what is most important is that we understand that the real coming out is not an institutional coming out, it is a spiritual coming out. And whether we are defenders or agitators, we should always desire a spiritual coming out. And if this happens, there should be sadness on both sides. But when people talk about breaking away, there is often a sentiment of superiority. We must remember that if God allows for a coming out, we must have the same spirit as Jesus. To balance this spirit of humility and empathy, we should also note that we cannot mix truth and error. Truth cannot be compromised. Whether we discern the biblical principle in the old way or new way or looking at things, we should always be new wineskins ready for the right win. Israel could have been transformed into new wineskins, but they refused. Christianity who was the new wineskin, has now become the old wineskin. Are Adventists too in danger of becoming old wineskins? One must remember that the Adventists were not perfect in their understanding of 1844. Have we too rejected God’s prophecy sent through Ellen White? While White is usually used to bolster the traditional teachings and lifestyle of Adventism, in reality, she is far ahead of the church on many issues. Galatians 3:28 refers to three social issues that talk about putting on Christ: race, economic, and gender. Surprisingly, these three issues can show how evident Christ is in the church and in the Christian. Yet, Adventists have typically ignored this aspect of Christianity, preferring tradition over relevance. Herbert Douglass’ book shares an excellent example of this in White’s counsel regarding the support of prohibition. At the Iowa camp meeting in the summer of 1881, White relates a dream from God where He says, “You, as a people, should be the head and not the tail in the movement; but now the position you have taken will place you at the tail.” In fact, her reply to whether Iowa Adventists should vote for prohibition was dramatic, “Yes, to a man everywhere and perhaps I shall shock some of you if I say, If necessary, vote on the Sabbath day for prohibition if you cannot at any other time.” This testimony both electrified and unified the church. So, we are beginning to see that White is not a historical artifact or someone who just supports the status quo. It is the truest tragedy that we actually believe we have White completely wrapped up and understood. In terms of her emphasis on spiritual and holistic growth, we are playing catch-up with a woman from a hundred years ago.
Jonathan Burnett Ellen White a Spiritual Lazy Boy?
Another interesting week has passed. This week we spent some time wrestling with more theological issues that surround the life, ministry, usage and misusage of Ellen G White. An interesting point of discussion centered on how the writings of Sister White should be used and what God’s intention was when He gave this gift to the church. All too often the prophetic gift has been misused as the rule of faith and practice. As such seasoned practitioners of the verbal martial art of ‘Whitekido’ are able to pull Ellen white quotes in defensive and offensive moves at mind boggling speed. The very best pugilists also have an in depth knowledge of the many apocryphal and pseudepigraphical works of Ellen White, such as ‘Testimonies vol. 12’ and ‘counsels communion and foot-washing’. In all seriousness, as we identified this week, there is a tendency to use the inspired writings only to buttress ones own ideas, opinions or the status quo. I feel that the danger here is that Ellen White writings (especially in there rapidly searchable digital form) can become a spiritual ‘lazy boy’ for many people. We don’t want the hard work of going to the bible ourselves and prayfully studying and wrestling with God over the many real issues that we face. The truth is that, where as the prophet’s writings might point to God’s ideals of how a person should live, they have no power to transform a person in and of themselves. The same Spirit of Prophecy that inspired Ellen White is needed to fulfill her prophetic counsel in the hearts and lives of men and women today. In her defense this misuse of Ellen White is not her fault as she always advised the church to go to the bible to work out issues of faith and practice. The irony is that many, who fly the flag of loyalty to every drop of ink that came out of the pen of inspiration, disregard some of the plainest teaching that she gave.
Another issue that we discussed this week related to 1844 and how we should understand what happened. We were informed that we shouldn’t limit our understanding of 1844 to things happening in heaven only. We can see that around this time the prophetic ministry of Ellen White and the prophetic movement of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church both trace their origins. It was at this time that this group of people went into the world teaching a more correct view of the judgment than the Millerites had had. We also discussed how this is not the only judgment mentioned in scripture. This got me thinking that there could be 7 times of judgment in the history of the world. 1. Gen 3 When Adam, Eve and the Serpent are judged after sin. 2. Gen 6-9 The Flood, the earth is judged because of their continual sinful thoughts. 3. John 12:31 The cross, Satan is cast down. 4. 1844 The dead are judged. 5. The Living are judged, sometime in the future. 6. The 2nd Advent, Jesus comes to judge the world. 7. The millennium and the 3rd Advent, judgment of God by the Saints. In this frame work we can see that from the very beginning the hour of God’s judgment has been with us. The great thing to notice is that in all of these judgments God’s people are rescued from Satan and not accused by God. Zechariah 3 provides insight into how God judges us and who it is that accuses us.
We also spent some time talking about Jones and Wagner and the 1888 General Conference. We were talking about the idea that the moral law was also a school master to bring us to Christ. When Dr Hanna mentioned that natural could also be included in that category it reminded me of something I had been thinking about sometime ago. I wondered why it was that humanity, which was the crowning act of God’s creation, can die in just 4 inches of water, or why does fires harm us when God is described as being a consuming fire and we were made to live in His presence? I am starting to think that it is because after sin we fell under the law of nature also. Jesus demonstrated what a person of faith whose heart is right with God can do, He walked on water, and Peter did too for a while, He commanded storms, rebuked tress etc.
Jonathan Burnett The Spirit of the Law goes beyond the letter.
The issue of ‘the Law’ is something that unites all people. Although not everyone uses the same vocabulary to describe it, every society or social grouping has some explicit or implicit rules by which they live. As Seventh - day Adventist Christians this issue has been especially close to the heart of our understanding of what makes use unique among the universal body of Christ. Last week we spent considerable time talking about some of the issues revolving around ‘the Law’ and how we are to relate to it today. First of all it must be stated that the phrase ‘the Law’ is pregnant with many shades of meaning and nuances of application. Some, when hearing this phrase, think of the Ten Commandments, others think of the ceremonial system, still others the whole Torah. The difficulty comes when this phrase is used in a biblical passage. Different people, based on their understanding of this phrases meaning, come up with different interpretations and applications of these passages, and maybe the text allows for all of these positions, the problem is that Christianity has tended to be very Hellenized in its reasoning. Greek thinking likes to deal in absolutes, either a thing is or it isn’t. Each thesis must have its antithesis and so, unlike the Jewish paradigm of thought, (which is the background for the Old Testament), Christianity has sought to define doctrines and limit the meaning of scripture to one true, right, interpretation from God and all else is, by virtue of not being the same as the one, true, right, interpretation from God, heresy. The fact is that neither God nor the scripture can be pigeon holed into our hermeneutical constructs. Often when we encounter problem texts it is not the text itself that is a problem but rather how it’s plain meaning might ‘contradict’ our previous understanding that causes the problem. In any case the SDA church faced these kinds of difficulties during the 1888 general conference. Jones and Wagner had, through bible study, reached the conclusion that both the moral and the ceremonial law were school masters to bring us to Christ. I believe that it was not because Jones and Wagner didn’t have strong biblical reasons why the leaders of the church at first rejected they message, it was more the implication of the message. The possibility that the church and its prophet could be wrong or rather not fully right was unthinkable. I am sure that these men also worried about how one could preach on the importance of the observing the Law, especially the 4th commandment, when this law was a school master. Fear of mass antinomianism sweeping the church probably prevented the leaders from giving Jones and Wagner a fair hearing. I sometimes wonder whether we as a church do the same today. We so zealously try to preserve the truth that we have (and so we should) that we are guilty of destroying it. Truth is living and therefore it must grow and develop. If we try to keep it by preventing it from growing we will cause it to decay and die. Fortunately for the church in 1888 they had Ellen. G. White to assist them in accepting this new revelation about the Law. We do not have Mrs. White in the same way that they did to help us through all of our difficulties. We must learn from the mistakes that our church has made and foster a much more open minded attitude towards new revelation. That is not to say that we accept everything but it means that we must be willing to accept truth even if it seems to contradict what we have known until now. Many things in the bible seem mutually exclusive but they are not. We must learn to live with this tension because after all we worship a God who is both fully human and fully divine. The case was made for understanding that in fact both the moral Law and the ceremonial Law were fulfilled in Christ but neither were abolished in the sense that some might used that word. Neither law should be kept in order to gain salvation but both are still be to be observed in spirit. Just as there is a distinction between both laws there is also a distinction in how they are to be kept in spirit. Jesus’ own interpretation of the moral law gives us an insight into how the law should be kept. The law says do not commit adultery but Jesus said to lust after a woman in your heart is adultery. Therefore the spirit of the law includes and goes beyond the letter of the law. If this same principle is applied to the 4th commandment it is clear that to keep the law in spirit is more than to do no work, is to do works of righteousness helping those who are in need on the Holy day of the Lord. This day gives man a chance to take the focus of himself and his needs for a while and join with God in working for the good of others. It is good to do good everyday, but that is not the complete spiritual fulfillment of this commandment anymore than committing adultery without thinking any lustful thoughts would be
INSPIRATION AND ELLEN WHITE The purpose of this paper is to share my reflection pertaining to this week’s discussions in class and the assigned reading of the book entitled “Messenger of God”. In class, it was presented that God reveals himself in four ways; through Christ himself (incarnate), through scripture (inspiration), through the cosmos (creation) and through the church (illumination). And it is through God’s remnant (Ancient Israel in the past and our church today) that we find prophets who help to tell more clearly, the character, image and will of God, and specifically, Jesus Christ. But biblical history has also shown that God’s prophet’s are many times misunderstood, rejected, and persecuted. In reflecting on this week’s lectures and specifically, the prophetic ministry of Ellen G. White, I wonder if our church is making the same mistake as ancient Israel with how they mistreated and ignored their Prophets. Simply put, I believe Ellen White is being rejected more and more by each succeeding generation. Although the Seventh-day Adventist Church high level leadership upholds and endorses Mrs. White as a prophet, many members and pastors view her, at best, as an inspired writer equal to the many other religious authors of our day. Ancient Israel, whether from Moses to Malachi, could hear and receive instruction directly from the throne of God. But this instruction was rejected generation after generation. These ancestors of mankind chose their own way. In class we learned that some prophets in Old Testament times were condemned during their lifetime but honored (with monuments) after their death. However, it seems that Ellen White was more honored in her lifetime and her influence is now on the decline since her death. The textbook reveals that Mrs. White was constantly traveling, speaking, writing, preaching, and meeting with members and leaders across the United States. She wielded tremendous influence and was regarded as having the gift of prophecy, though some critics did exist. Thousands would come to hear her speak. The textbook also reveals the human side of the struggle in establishing the Seventh-day Adventist church. Mr. and Mrs. White both endured feelings of discouragement, depression and being misunderstood. However, through it all, Mrs. White was mostly accepted as a Prophet, a messenger of the Lord. But since her death in 1915, rather than her influence steadily growing, she appears to have plateaued and is now in decline. In my opinion, Mrs. White’s influence has eroded because people have misunderstood her writings. In class we learned that she had two kinds of writings, divinely inspired and personal opinion. However, many have taken Mrs. White’s personal correspondence (and personal opinion) as “divinely inspired”, thus showing inconsistency on various topics that were directed specifically to individuals, not the church. I wonder if our church would be better to only promote those books (i.e., Conflict Series) that speak of Jesus and the scripture, and leave the opinion writing to the scholars. Perhaps then, Mrs. White’s writing would be viewed only in the light of scripture and her prophetic commentary more aptly understood and accepted. Lastly, we learned that God has always had a remnant. This remnant is a special group of people and individuals who are given pure truth through the Holy Spirit. Israel was the first remnant, followed by the early Christians, then others, including the Waldenses, the reformers (i.e., Luther, Zwingli and Calvin) and ending with today’s Seventh-day Adventist Church. However, once again, I would venture to say that many Adventist today not only reject Ellen White as a prophet, but dismiss the concept that the Adventist church is the true remnant. The ecumenical movement has encouraged pastor’s to think that quoting other authors make them culturally relevant, to minimize quotes from Mrs. White, to communicate our likenesses to other denominations more than our differences, and to blend in, versus stand out, in the Christian community. I believe the time has come to urgently reeducate the laity, to remind them that we do live at the end of time, that God has chosen a remnant people throughout history, and that our time has come as His remnant. With a renewed vigor, we, as pastoral leaders, we (including myself) need to remind our members that our church has been given a special message and a messenger, the gift of prophecy through Ellen White.
The Sanctuary Doctrine is my topic of reflection for this week. On Wednesday of this week, we spent a good part of the class reviewing the Sanctuary Doctrine and its relevance for today. As a second generation Seventh-day Adventist, I have a general understanding of this 23rd fundamental belief of the church. I also realize that this particular doctrine is probably debated more than any other. After all, it is the only unique doctrine of the church, and it is linked to the prophetic ministry of Ellen White. To begin, the bible is quite clear that a heavenly sanctuary does exist. Hebrews 9:24 reads, “For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.” The handout we received in class builds a compelling case that heaven does contain a heavenly holy place. Likewise, we know that ancient Israel was asked to create a earthly sanctuary for God to dwell. This portable sanctuary was eventually replaced by a permanent temple in Jerusalem. However, the sacrificial system at the Temple was abolished due to the atoning death of Jesus. The bible is clear about two sanctuaries, one on earth and the other in heaven. Whether the sanctuary on earth is symbolic of what is in heaven, or whether the heavenly sanctuary is literal or symbolic for us on earth, is not what is truly important in the big picture. To me, the relevant questions are, when did Jesus enter the Holy Place in heaven and how is the judgment to be accomplished? I wonder what difference it really makes if Jesus entered the Holy Place (symbolically and/or literally) immediately after his ascension or waited until 1844. After all, upon returning to heaven, Jesus had 4,000 years of earth’s history to judge. So why wait to begin the “investigative judgment” for the dead until a future date? After all, for those who have lived and died, their destiny is determined, just not yet declared publically by Jesus. On the other hand, Jesus understands that the judgment is not merely for the judged. All heaven will be eagerly watching, the devil and his angels (who are already condemned) will be eerily awaiting the results, and perfect intelligent life throughout the universe will be witnessing how Jesus deals with sin and the individual sinner. So, in reality, not only are the deceased and ultimately the living human being judged, but so is Jesus. Jesus is on trial as much as the sinner. Mrs. White has astutely coined the term the “Great Controversy” to accurately portray the cosmic conflict between Jesus and Lucifer. As I begin to understand the Great Controversy between God’s government and that of Lucifer, I see now that when the judgment occurs is as important as how people will be judged. Jesus wants things to be absolutely fair for all parties including those have lived (waiting until they die to judge them) and those who are living (waiting until the last possible chance for their choice for Jesus over self) and for those who will observe (showing that the judgment is just). Moreover, the bible itself displays the 2,300 year prophecy, pointing to 1844 as the time when Jesus entered the Most Holy place in heaven. Therefore, commencing with the judgment from 1844 shows that Jesus is taking His time to methodically and fairly judge, advocating for every person who elected to have God rule their life. So, when Jesus entered the Most Holy place is closely connected with how he is accomplishing things. And what Jesus is accomplishing is to try and save as many people as possible, applying his sacrificial death for every person who is eligible. As earth’s history comes to a close, as people consider their own lives and their future and their ultimate destiny, the sanctuary message has significant relevance for today. This message tells people you have a God (Jesus) who is not trying to condemn you, but save you, if you would invite Him to lead and transform your life. Indeed, the sanctuary message is about hope and salvation for those who claim the promised gift of life from a personal and holy God.
In class this last week, we briefly discussed the two natures of Christ. We were reminded that Jesus is totally divine and totally human, though not mixed nor divided in nature. Jesus possesses two complete natures that are in sync and harmonious. But in examining the two natures of Christ, I am left with this question: Did Jesus, in battling sin, hold a strategic advantage over Adam and every human who has ever lived, by defeating Satan at the cross? To be sure, the bible reveals that Jesus had both a human and divine nature. In terms of Jesus’ humanity, the bible tells of a very human person, who got tired (and took vacations as was pointed out in class), who experienced fear (while on the cross), who knew hunger (as exemplified by the first temptation in the wilderness) and who felt the shame of rejection (by the Pharisees, Sadducees, and other Jews). Beyond the physical and emotional human experience Jesus endured, he was also tempted as a human. The bible says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.” Hebrews 4:14. But in addition to the human nature, the bible also records Jesus as divine. At his baptism, God the Father audibly states through the clouds whom Jesus is: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17. When Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:16. Simply, Jesus was God in the flesh. The book of Romans tells us that Jesus was the second Adam. But was Adam both human and divine? Adam was a created perfect first human, and so therefore could not be God as well. So how can Jesus be our substitute if he appears to possess a nature no human has ever had? First, let’s examine the apparent advantage of Jesus and his divinity. One might point to his miracles of healing and raising people from the dead. But didn’t the apostles (e.g., Peter, Paul), and many Old Testament prophets perform similar miracles? Beyond miracles, some might say that Jesus’ teachings were proof of his divinity. But didn’t others (from Moses to John the Revelator) reveal significant teachings of truth as given to them by the Holy Spirit? The fact is the actual recorded teachings of Jesus are but a small part of the bible. And what about Jesus’ ability to predict the future due to his divinity? Here again, many others were given this same gift, some with even more prophetic prominence than Jesus himself. Yet, no one would say that Moses or Isaiah or Ellen White were divine, though they possessed the gift of prophecy alone. So what advantage does Jesus divinity bid him? I would answer, none as a man. I believe that the human nature Jesus takes on is the only nature he exercises for himself while a mortal man. In order for Jesus to be our substitute, he cannot have any advantage. But after Jesus has lived and died a perfect human being, his divinity takes over enabling God the Son to conquer death. The amplified version of Romans 1:4 reads “And (as to His divine nature) according to the Spirit of holiness was openly designated the Son of God in power (in a striking, triumphant and miraculous manner) by His resurrection from the dead, even Jesus Christ our Lord (the Messiah, the anointed one).” Jesus declared in the Gospel of John, "I am the resurrection, and the life." Ellen White writes, “In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, and underived. ‘He that hath the Son hath life.’ The divinity of Christ is the believer's assurance of eternal life.”--The Desire of Ages, p. 530 (1898). So Jesus Christ was human and divine while alive as man, and yet divine and human in death as God. Therefore, we now have an advocate who has taken our punishment, our guilt and our death, and presented us with the gift of eternal life. As to the question, did Jesus have any advantage (over mere humans) in battling sin; the real advantage goes directly to the human race. For Jesus, in his divinity, made eternal life possible only after his humanity was proven to be perfect first.
Major Events In Ellen White’s Life By: Jonathan Kim
Reflecting upon the previous week’s class experience, I can honestly say that I’ve been blessed through the professor’s lectures and by the questions that have been brought up by various individuals in our class. Since becoming a Seventh-day Adventist in 1998, I’ve desired to learn more about the Bible and the prophetess of our church, Ellen White. Though I was really skeptical at first, I found three of Ellen White’s books - The Great Controversy, Steps to Christ, and the Desire of Ages - to be full of insight and picturesque words that helped me to obtain a deeper understanding of Scripture and a beautiful picture of God and His love. Though I believe her insights are not the final word on Scripture, I am very thankful to have her books as a reference and a guide. Her books have challenged me and have offered me fresh perspectives on Scripture. I have also enjoyed reading the Messenger of the Lord, by Herbert Douglass. About a year ago I felt a desire to learn more about the life and ministry of Ellen White. Prior to enrolling in this class my only picture of Ellen White came from studying her writings, but Douglass’s book has lead me into her earlier years expounding upon the trauma in her life and the depression she battled with before being called into ministry. Three major events occurred in her life that proved to be pivotal - her physical trauma at age nine, her exposure to William Miller’s preaching, and lastly, her two dreams in which she visited the heavenly temple in one, and met with Jesus in another. At nine years old, Ellen was walking home one day with some school friends when an older girl who had been following them threw a rock that hit her in the face and placed her in a coma for three weeks. This senseless act of violence disfigured her and lead to respiratory problems that affected her throughout her ministry. Though that experience was tragic for Ellen, it had helped her to turn her eyes toward heaven and seek comfort in God. In 1840, a man named William Miller expounded upon the prophecies found in the Bible and preached that the second coming of Jesus Christ was near. He profoundly affected Ellen’s life. Having listened to many “fire and brimstone” sermons, her picture of God turned into one of fear. Because of her fear of failure, her Methodist upbringing, and the unfortunate events of her past, she described a “secret agony” that she hid in her heart for years to come. Later, a meeting with Jesus in one dream and a visit to the heavenly temple in another freed her from her secret agony and removed the false picture that she had of God. All of these events lead her to discover the plan God had for her life. I was really surprised by how traumatic and difficult Ellen’s earlier years had been. Through this story I was reminded again of God’s love and compassion and how he carried Ellen through her darkest hours of life. He restored the joy that was lost to her and provided her with strength in weakness to carry out the many works He had in store for her ministry. That portion of the reading really painted a beautiful picture of Jesus for me. I have also been greatly blessed by our professor’s lectures. He explained on the first day of class that God chooses to reveal himself to us through four kinds of revelation: Jesus Christ, the Holy Scripture, the church, and the cosmos – with Jesus Christ being the supreme revelation of God. As the professor proceeded to expound on those revelations I was reminded of God’s unfailing love and grace and how He continues to favor a relationship with us though we are fallen and pitiful. Also, before I enrolled in this class it never occurred to me that prophets were prone to mistakes and flaws. It shocked me to learn that sometimes even the prophets misunderstood God and His will, though God spoke directly to them. For example, Jonah, who desired to see the destruction of Ninevah, became angry with God when he discovered that God had shown mercy to the Ninevites after they had repented their sins. As Jonah hardened his heart, God had to use the life and death of a plant that had offered him shade from the sun, as a way of humbling him and revealing His grace and justice.
Ellen G. White’s Visions & the Remnant Church By: Jonathan Kim
This past week, I really enjoyed reading section three of Messenger of the Lord, by Herbert Douglass. As I mentioned in my last reflection report, the life and ministry of Ellen White is a fairly new subject for me. Outside of the Great Controversy, Desire of Ages, and Steps to Christ, I’ve only skimmed through portions of her other writings. As I was reading Messenger of the Lord, I was absolutely captivated by the visions that the Lord had given to Mrs. White. I haven’t read much about this aspect of her life before but there were times when the hair on the back of my neck stood on end from how accurate her dreams and visions had come to be. One example of that would be her vision concerning Mrs. Alcott, a woman who professed great holiness, yet, was secretly involved in adultery with another man. The Lord showed Mrs. White a vision concerning Mrs. Alcott’s true spiritual state and even revealed to her the exact words Mrs. Alcott would use to defend herself when confronted about her sin. Everything came to pass in the way that the Lord had described it to Mrs. White. The N.D. Faulkhead experience in 1892 is another good example. As she met with Mr. Faulkhead to discuss with him how the path he was on would lead him to his downfall, Mrs. White showed Mr. Faulkhead two hand signals that only the Knight Templars and the highest order of Freemason’s knew. Through this meeting with Mrs. White he was fully convinced that she had been sent by the Lord and he ended up rededicating his life back to Him. As I read through the account of her visions, I was amazed at her boldness as a prophet and how she was willing to stand before congregations to call out those in sin. In the past couple of years I have read a few news stories on modern day “prophets” who have claimed to be from the Lord but when the Biblical test of a true prophet was given to them, all of them failed. Knowing that Mrs. White has passed the Biblical test of a true prophet gives me joy in knowing that our church is part of something special. The accuracy and detail of her visions have proven to me that light was given to her by the Lord along with a special message to pass on to the Christians living in the end of time. Ellen White stated something in chapter fifteen that completely caught me off guard. In a letter written by her in1874, she recalled the past thirty years of her life and expressed that if she had her own choice and could please God as well, she would have rather died than have a vision. In the letter she claimed that every vision given to her was a great responsibility that caused her great suffering beyond what words could describe. I greatly admire her humility and willingness to serve the Lord even though she didn’t desire her position as a messenger or a prophetess. She denied herself and didn’t resist the Spirit of God in order to seek an easier position. Mrs. White’s letter really made me think about my own calling in life and the thoughts that I struggle with everyday concerning where the Lord is trying to lead me… As for our class discussions and lectures, I was blessed this week by our professor’s lectures on the sanctuary message and the current debates going on between scholars in our church today about whether the sanctuary in heaven is symbolic or literal. I valued the point that our professor made when he stated that sometimes we place too much focus or emphasis on the left side of an idea, or the right, instead of seeing the greater picture that God has for us. That lecture challenged me to approach my own reading of Scripture with more of an open mind and to also think along the lines of the bigger picture instead of simply dissecting single words or sentences and being satisfied with that. Also, I was deeply challenged by the thought that the Seventh-day Adventist church is not an infallible institution and that if we ever were to fail in carrying the torch of truth and we wandered away from the light given to us as the Israelites had, God would raise up another group of people to continue where we let go. That statement was profound and it affirmed for me the fact that our calling as Christians is one that requires much responsibility, commitment, passion and dedication. Often times, I think we don’t realize how grand of a calling has been given to us and we become complacent and very much like the church of Laodicea…
"The Tight-Rope Experience: The Challenge of Urban Evangelism" By Jinha Kim
For two years, I worked at a church in Manhattan. The members reflect the make-up of the city – mostly young professionals in their twenties and thirties, but also the elderly, disabled, blue collar workers, as well as people from all over the world. We have several regular comers who harbor a plethora of beliefs, none of which are distinctly Adventist. Every week, visitors from around the world and from the community come for a day, a week, or a month, while every few months, the church has to say goodbye to those who are moving on. Often, the church is rented to different groups in the community. People from the streets drop by to pray or to participate in a prayer meeting here, a vespers program there. Friends attend our many events and neighborhood parents bring their children to our free tutoring program. We are a church in New York City and a church of New York City.
I faced many challenges and privileges as the Urban Outreach Coordinator for this diverse and dynamic body and city. Each time I preached a sermon, taught a Sabbath School lesson, or organized an event, I had two thoughts in my head: first, that this could be the one time someone hears the gospel of Christ; secondly, that this could be the one time someone hears about the unique Adventist message. I tried to present the Adventist message within the gospel context, but it was always a challenge to address the broad needs of such a diverse and fluctuating congregation. I felt like I was walking on a tight-rope, trying to keep my balance and not fall off. How can I present a Christ-centered, biblical, relevant Adventist message to such a group of people, especially to new visitors who see such contradictory and confusing messages about Adventism and Christianity in the lives of the different members?
How do I preach and practice the unique message about Adventism while reaching people on their common ground? As I read Section IV of Messenger of the Lord, I was struck by the dichotomy of Mrs. White’s counsel regarding this challenge. At the General Conference session on March 7, 1891 speaking about The American Sentinel’s desire to drop the unique Adventist message from its magazine, Ellen White said, “If there is committed to us a special message, as we believe, that message must go, without reference to the customs or prejudices of the world, not governed by a policy of fear or favor” (Douglass 188). Speaking of the magazine, Douglass notes, “In seeking a wider sphere of influence, the Sentinel lost…its vitality, its circulation, and at last, its life. It ceased publication…in 1904” (Douglass 188). But does this mean that we should only preach the three angels’ message, in every sermon and every outreach activity, such as our booth at the street fair, where we give free blood pressure screenings and hand out literature? How about when we make sandwiches for the homeless – should we be expounding the message of 1844? Clearly, Ellen White did not mean for that extreme.
Every message must be “Christ-centered, biblical, and relevant to the world” (Professor Hanna). Douglass says in the book, “Bringing the gospel to the general public, including many who have been burned over with previous religious experiences, requires tact in selecting the sequence of subjects” (Douglass 213). This is especially true for many young Adventists who come to New York City. Many of them have been so burned by their childhood experiences with the erroneous misapplication and misquoting of Ellen White and the unique Adventist doctrines that any mention of Ellen White or 1844 brings back traumatic and negative reactions. When the Sabbath School quarterly was on 1844, attendance in Sabbath School classes dropped significantly. Do we then ignore this phenomenon and hope that they will appreciate Ellen White if we keep quoting her from the pulpit? Ellen White herself presented the need for wisdom and prudence when presenting certain topics: “When you meet those, who, like Nathaniel, are prejudiced against the truth, do not urge your peculiar views too strongly. Talk with them at first of subjects upon which you can agree…Both you and they will be brought into a closer connection with heaven, prejudice will be weakened, and it will be easier to reach the heart” (Evangelism 446). I was also surprised by her counsel: “Present Jesus because you know Him as your personal Saviour. Let His melting love, His rich grace, flow forth from human lips. You need not present doctrinal points unless questioned” (Evangelism 442). Often, we rush into our explanations of the state of the dead and the Sabbath, going from passage to passage, without having shown them the love of Christ that is in my heart. “Christ’s example included avoiding ‘controversies,’ identifying with each person’s ‘interest and happiness,’ watching the ‘faces of His hearers…which told that truth had reached the soul,’ speaking with ‘simplicity’ by not bringing ‘many things before them at once, lest He confuse their minds [making] every point clear and distinct” (Douglass 213). When speaking in public, Ellen White did not first preach about the Seventh-day Adventist doctrines right away; she chose subjects of Christian temperance and practical godliness: “She knew that by starting with a neutral, contemporary subject she would gain a favorable hearing, thus setting the stage for more distinctive messages” (Douglass 213). But going back to my burning question, what about New York City? How do I preach a sermon that is simultaneously Christ-centered, biblical, and relevant to someone who has never heard about Christ, to someone who is Christian but not Adventist, and someone who has been Adventist their whole life?
As suggested, I read Christ’s Object Lessons to see Mrs. White’s insights about the example of Jesus. She wrote, “Jesus sought an avenue to every heart. By using a variety of illustrations, He not only presented truth in its different phases, but appealed to the different hearers. Their interest was aroused by figures drawn from the surroundings of their daily life. None who listened to the Saviour could feel that they were neglected or forgotten. The humblest, the most sinful, heard in His teaching a voice that spoke to them in sympathy and tenderness” (Christ’s Object Lessons pp 22, 23). Jesus was able to reach every heart and draw everyone closer to Him because he used a variety of illustrations and drew analogies and lessons from the surroundings of their daily life. He met them where they were and drew their minds and hearts to a higher plane.
The Savior walked, fished, slept and ate with the people he ministered unto; in the same way, I see a need to live and breathe in New York City to be able to minister to New Yorkers. Unfortunately, Ellen White has been misrepresented and overly quoted as condemning city living. She has said, “We have done none too much for foreign fields, but we have done comparatively nothing for the great cities right beside our own doors” (Evangelism pp 401,402). I was surprised to learn that she made a distinction between outpost ministries of institutions versus local churches and bible work. In his article, “Another Look at City Mission,” Professor George Knight concludes:
Some years earlier she had been quite explicit that some Adventists needed to move to the cities to raise up churches. "We see," she wrote, "the great need of missionary work to carry the truth not only to foreign countries, but to those who are near us. Close around us are cities and towns in which no efforts are made to save souls. Why should not families who know the present truth settle in these cities and villages, to set up there the standard of Christ, working in humility, not in their own way, but in God's way, to bring the light before those who have no knowledge of it? . . . There will be laymen who will move into towns and cities, and into apparently out-of-the-way places, that they may let the light which God has given them, shine forth to others. Christian Service, p 180.
He also cites how Ellen White commended Stephen N. Haskell for moving to and living in New York City, a few months or years before, she had called God’s people to work in but not dwell in cities (S.N.Haskell to E.G.White, Oct 14, 1902). In light of this holistic view of Ellen White’s counsel to workers to minister to New York City, there is need for God’s people to work and live in the city in order to better reach those inside high buildings. How else can you reach someone in a high rise with security in the front, unless you live inside? You cannot do door-to-door evangelism when you do not have access to the door and when no one’s home because they work most of the day. It is time to stop being one-sided and afraid and to go in and finish the work.
Looking back, I see that I have made many mistakes while working at the church in New York City. I had just graduated with an undergraduate degree in French literature, and so I had no theological training. I had volunteered at churches before but had never been on the board (I was only 22) and so was thrown into the Conference and church workings with no warning. I let myself get burnt out and stretched thin. I tried to please everyone and consequently became displeased with myself. But through it all and especially now that I can objectively evaluate the experience, I see that God was teaching me just how challenging and complicated ministry in New York City truly is – and that I desperately need His power and Spirit if I ever hope to make a difference there. Here at Andrews Seminary, I pray that I may learn to balance my theology but also learn practical lessons for my ministry so that I can be better equipped and even more dependent on my ultimate Teacher, Jesus Christ. If I keep my eyes on Him and walk towards Him, even if I fall, I am confident that He will pick me up and keep me on the right path.
Works Cited Douglass, Herbert E. Messenger of the Lord: The Prophetic Ministry of Ellen G. White. Nampa: Pacific Press, 1998. Knight, George. “Another Look at City Mission.” Adventist Review. 6 Dec 2001: Feature. 25 July 2007 http://www.adventistreview.org/2001-1549/story2.html> White, Ellen. Christ’s Object Lessons. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald, 1900. White, Ellen. Evangelism. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald, 1946.
If I could sum up week one with a single word it would be “WOW!” Since I do not have a theological background (my BS is Biology with a sociology concentration from AUC), most of what I know of Ellen G. White was taught to me by my parents, my church and even shepherd rods. So as you can imagine, my views on E. G. White are somewhat varied. While my parents taught us to believe in the authority of her word, they were careful to let us know that she was not above the Bible or the Word of God. I must say however, that many of the more mature members of my church did not present her that way. When ever we (my brother and sisters or friends) did something that was wrong or perceived to be wrong, we were instantly corrected by these “saints” with a writing or two of E. G. White. It was not hard to picture E. G. White as a long sleeve long skirt wearing, conservative, one hairstyle having, non-smiling, heavenly minded, pious prophet that had it out for kids. Then along came this class.
First I would like to talk about the two text books for this class, Messenger of the Lord by Herbert E. Douglass and the Bible. At first glance I was immediately intimidated by the small print and the two columns per page layout of the Douglass text book. But oh what joyous reading. Never in my 34year lifetime was I ever introduced to E.G. White the person, the child, the mother, the wife, the minister… until now. I feel as if I am propelled into the past and bearing witness for myself about E. G. White’s life. I am in awe with what I know so far.
Elly, as I affectionately call her, had this profound love and understanding for God at the tender age of 17. Her near death experience at 9 reminds me of Martin Luther’s thunderstorm experience that compelled him to make a vow of fear to become a monk and who was tormented by a God of judgment. In Elly’s case, she would learn to base her love for spiritual things not on fear generated by “hell fire” sermons and a false picture of God, but on a God who was both Heavenly Ruler and Friend. Thanks to dreams and pastoral counseling, her portrait of God was the foundational platform on which she built her mission. How often we lose out on the blessings of knowing God and the blessings of introducing others to God because we have a false portrait of God displayed in our lives and in our message. I am truly grateful for every new revelation I learn about a God who cares even for the small matters in my life.
I was so impressed on how she dealt with her children. Both she and her husband were not afraid to re-evaluate how they dealt with the discpline of their children and even critique themselves. I will be sure to place a bookmark on the marriage section of this text so that when I do get married I can refer back to the dynamics she and her husband shared. They were both in ministry and managed to please God and live contented with each other. While they had real problems, there love for each other, respect and support for each others ministry was evident. Before I move on to the lectures I would like to note that E.G. White did amazing things through the power and strength of God. You would have never known she was as sick as she was or in so much physical pain during her ministry. I can safely say that I am healthier than Elly was at 34. What hinders me to do great things for the Lord?
I am especially excited that we are using the Bible as one of our text books. While I know some classes are historically based and do not use the Bible as much, I love the fact that we are diving into the Word. The first image shattering information I got was on the first day of class. In the first seven texts used to point out the concept of the Testimony of Jesus versus the Spirit of Prophecy, I was shocked to see that 6 of the 7 texts promoted the Testimony of Jesus as the most important part of our message. Growing up you would think that the Spirit of Prophecy was equal or even greater than the Word of God. The concept of the four revelations (Christ incarnation, Scripture inspiration, Church illumination, and the Cosmos creation) is so neatly package. In one moment I was able to understand the basic framework of the Bible. I am truly excited.
“God can use a dull knife to cut down a redwood tree. It’s not the knife but God using the knife to cut down the Tree”. This was a quote that Dr. Hanna used to explain that in the hand of God we can be used to do great things to spread the gospel. What inspiration. I see now that Elly is a tool used by God to guide His people back to the Word as well as give us practical advice for Christian living.
The lecture on the remnant nation was so clear. The remnant nation time line moved logically from Israel to The SDA church. I see now that if we are not careful as a church to emphasis a Christ centered, biblical and relevant message to the world, then we are in jeopardy of making the same mistakes the Reformers made. The SDA institution is not the focal point of who we are. It is the supporting actor to the star of the show, Jesus Christ.
It has only been a week and so many false pictures of E.G. White (Elly) and of the SDA institutional structure has been shattered for me. I am a bit saddened that it took me having to come to the seminary in order to get a clearer picture. What are we going to do for the average member whose life calling does not lead them here? We owe it; I owe it to those I have “left behind” to help them see clearly so that we can finish the mission of the gospel hand in hand. The more you know about the church you love, the more in love you become. At least that’s how I see it.
Week two was another amazing experience. Before going to the textbook (Messenger of the Lord by H. Douglas), I would like to briefly comment on the class discussions. As is the custom, roll-call participation was done and plunged us into mind opening, challenging, and foundation shaking biblical discussions. The quote of the week (provided by Dr. Hanna) was “Scripture can be deep enough to drown an elephant yet shallow enough for a babe to wade in.” As we dived into text after text I realized that I need to be very careful when attempting to interpret or study scripture. It is so easy to miss the blessings of a text by over theologizing or taking a one dimensional approach to the text. I am excited to read the Bible with a whole new set of eyes. The use of three dimensional vision (time, place and circumstance) coupled with the Spirit of God is the tools I will need to begin. I am a bit anxious because I know that my world will be rocked when I see texts in a different light for the first time in my life. While that thought is a bit terrifying, the flutter of my heart and the excitement of this new experience is one I cannot wait to sink my teeth into (I’m getting goose bumps already). The one thing I appreciate about week two is the fact that I am being challenged to take a closer look at the doctrines and knowledge I already have and believe in. I am being cut free from using tradition as an interpretation of scripture and moving towards a more Spirit led, and scripture based thinking. Our dissection of I Corinthians 11:3-16 was phenomenal but the sanctuary lecture…priceless. The literal versus symbolic lecture set the stage for me to really see the sanctuary message in a new light. I am almost embarrassed to say that I really never grasped the whole 1844 sanctuary message. While I still know that I need to go further with my study, I am ever so grateful for the tools I have been armed with this week to start my journey. I have to say that I never got that the object lesson of the sanctuary message was about relationship. God has always wanted an intimate relationship with His people. We are so busy theologizing our messages and confusing the average members that we are missing out on communing with our creator on so many levels. While I realize that there is a need for us to dive deep and explore all the aspects of the sanctuary message, I don’t want to drown in the many, many literal implications of the message. I would like to explore the lecture we had about the ceremonial, moral and natural laws in Galatians 3. I have to admit that I myself have used the whole rational that the ceremonial laws have been nailed to the cross and the moral law is the law referred to in the New Testament. But not until now have I realized that I need to revisit this way of thinking. I left this week with a much clearer picture of II Corinthians 3 and 4 but I still have a question mark of understanding hovering over my head about Galatians 3 and 4. So for right now, I am going to hold on tight to my life vest (the Holy Spirit and this class) as I start moving into deeper waters. I have to say that the analogy of an airplane pilot and the law of gravity helped propel me tremendously into understanding that laws are not abolished. But reading all of Galatians 4 has me wondering who the “bondwoman and the freewoman” are in verse 30. I really have to thank God for the fact that I am in an environment where I can have these questions and be guided to the answers. I guess the key is in knowing when to wade, when to snorkel or when to put on your scuba gear when coming to scripture. I am sure that The Holy Spirit, directly and indirectly through class, will help me with that. I thoroughly enjoyed reading chapter 9 in our text book Messenger of the Lord by Herbert Douglass. I love the fact that Ellen G. White (Elly) has become more of a real person to me through her humor. I laughed out loud at the Salt rub story where the worker accidentally used sugar instead of salt. Her response was not an angry, or “do you know who I am” response. She simply said, “Just trying to sweeten me up, huh?” Elly shows me that while she was a matriarch of the Seventh Day Adventist church, a messenger of the Lord, a powerful evangelist, a world renowned writer (and the list can go on and on…) she had time for humor. I think that Adventists are so caught on being the remnant, so focused on the health and three angels message, so dedicated to being the only true church of God, that we have forgotten how to enjoy being sons and daughters of Christ. It is a scary thing at times to stand before the people on any given Sabbath morning and see the weight of the world on the faces of the people instead of a countenance that screams out, “I have been with Jesus!” or “Thank God for the Sabbath, a true delight!” Many of us act so tormented by the burden of being Adventist that we send our visitors and potential souls running for their lives. I think that if we (including me) had a better understanding of the God who laughs with us, hurts for us, cries with us, sustains us and unconditionally loves us, we could see Adventism as a privilege and a not a burden we bear. Upward and forward to week three!
SHAKING THE FOUNDATIONS OF TRADITION Week three could be summed up with one question, what is the true foundation of my beliefs, traditions or biblical truths? For years I have been taught and convinced (not by my own personal study) that the ceremonial laws have been done away with. I must admit, that is an easier argument to support rather than the view point that laws are not abolished. Jesus said it Himself that He did not come to change times and laws but came to fulfill them. Last week I was shaken to the core and did not understand clearly Galatians 3 and 4. This week’s class discussions have provided me with a new and wonderful understanding. In regard to the nailing of laws to the cross, the reasoning we [Adventist] use for keeping Sabbath and the rest of the moral laws, I see clearly now that the law was nailed to the cross. But not the way I formally thought. My transgression of the law was nailed to the cross not the law itself. Jesus died because of my accusations. It is in the presence of the cross that the law acts as a mirror for me to see my sins and repent. To say that the act of nailing to the cross was the act of abolishment would mean that Jesus, who was nailed to the cross, was also abolished. So is it possible to abolish one law and keep everything else? Now, I don’t think so. But this raises a whole new level of questions for me. Since the ceremonial law was not abolished then I can accept that it was fulfilled and transformed. So for example, Passover + the cross = The Lord’s Supper. But there are many other ceremonial laws, what were they transformed into? Is this too simple a view that what was fulfilled was transformed? It puts things in a neater package for me. But I am beginning to realize that in this class, attempting to place theologies and translations derived from scripture in a neat box is futile. Everything does not always fit. Well, unless it is Christ centered, Biblically based and relevant to the world. I now see that when I place my traditional beliefs through the filter of the cross that I am getting fragments of my traditional beliefs, gaps in my reasoning, holes in my theories. This is FRUSTRATING and EXCITING all at once. I have forgotten that culture is not law nor is it the basis on which to build theological principals on. I am fearful that we (including myself) have become ritual based and not scriptural based. I have to return to the Word. I want to live a life motivated by Christ and not one solely based on the law. But I must admit I do not know where to start. The readings were really great. So many things I have learned, so little time to write about them all. So let’s see what I can fit into a half of a page. One of the chapters discussed the dangers of consolidation of institutions. Two key statements screamed out to the former “board member” side of me. “In the church, the plea for unity must be understood in terms of the church’s purpose… Unity in goals, as history has demonstrated, need not be defined in terms of decision-making by the few.” In all the quotes that have been shot like arrows at me over the years, I have never seen this one. Now I do realize that this statement was made in the context and along the lines of institutional consolidation. But I truly believe that this can be applied to the way we tend to make decisions on the board, (sometimes just barely making quorum) for the future goals of the church. There are sometimes where we need to put down the book of protocol, the SDA “Mishna”, the church manual and seek what is best for the people. Especially when it comes to planning based on the vision and goals of the church. Many times I have sat on board meetings flabbergasted at the decisions we make that seem to be presumptuous of what the people should want. Business meetings tend to be hostile (to put it mildly) when the board makes “recommendations” while not going the extra mile to research the matter with the very saints we serve. The member at large should be the most important seat on a board. They are the true voice of the people, representing the thoughts of the people. How often do we put emphasis on those members? Since when did we as board members turn to them for reports on how the members feel about a certain topic or asked them what is on the mind of the people that we need to address. But we are very quick to get to the all important treasure’s report. Something to chew on.
Jonathan Burnett Just what is the Spirit of Prophecy anyway?
This is a question that I have often wrestled with in my 2nd ½ generation Adventist experience. From childhood at church I have heard this phrase used when a certain almost extra biblical authority was needed. This phrase was often used interchangeably with other phrases such as “Sister White says” or “The pen of inspiration wrote” or “Inspiration declares”. I can not remember how old I was when I first came to understand that to think or act in opposition to the commands or reproofs which followed such phrases was almost tantamount to knocking on the door of Babylon and asking to be let back in. How I knew what Babylon was is truly another mystery all I can say is that I must have been almost bilingual as a child. In any case this week as we have dwelt on the subject of inspiration, and the Spirit of Prophecy, I have been able to re-evaluate the working definitions of these subjects that were created in my formative years.
I had noticed in my private study come across Rev 19:10. After reading it I began to believe that the Spirit of Prophecy must encompass more than the writings of Ellen White. However this week I have come to believe that actually the Spirit of Prophecy means exactly what it says, It is the Spirit what gives the gift of Prophecy to an individual. A person can have the Spirit of Prophecy but can not be the Spirit of Prophecy. In fact for a person to be billed as such is almost blasphemy as you are giving to them the authority that belongs only to God the Holy Spirit.
The topic of inspiration is also closely related to this. For many calling Mrs. White the Spirit of Prophecy has unwittingly introduced the idea of plenary inspiration to Mrs. White’s writings. Many people believe that her writings in their literal form were given to her word by word. This posses a problem when it appears at a specific detail here or there is inconsistent or wrong. The understanding of inspiration which we learn this week helps to clear this up considerably. The thoughts of the prophet are inspired and not the vocabulary, although, in the case of Mrs. White, she was given a supernatural ability to write and speak the inspired thoughts she had received.
The four Revelations given in class also helped to put into context the role that Ellen Whites writings play in the great scheme of God’s revelation to us. Human beings are inspired (theopneustos) revelations of God as is the rest of creation. The church was also breathed into existence when the Holy Spirit fell at Pentecost and as 2 Cor 3: 2-3 states the church is a living epistle. The bible of course is inspired and is the rule of faith and practice and Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God. All of these are revelation and they are best understood when they are looked at together. The bible is to be the standard of doctrine that is Christ centered, biblical and relevant to the world in which we live.
The topic of the remnant is also one that was discussed a lot in my childhood. I knew we were the remnant and we were both proud and afraid at the same time. We had a similar mentality to Elijah after the Mt Carmel experience. It has refreshing to have the concept of the remnant put into its proper biblical context this week. I realized that we are only a small part of a universal remnant movement that started in heaven.
I have truly enjoyed reading your post and reflection letter. I especially enjoyed the emphasis that you placed upon the name 7th day Adventist. Our name is a sermon all together and should be broadcasted all over and placed upon everything we do. Thank you for sharing that. You have brought up some other great points as well that have left me pondering over the same topic. My perspective has been living in the States and I have been asking the question for quite some time. Why are there so many different views about Ellen White both good and bad, what has broken our unity on spiritual gifts of the church and pull out the spirit of prophecy from among the list? Thank you for your comments.
What do you think is the main cause for such criticism of Ellen White in the Netherlands?
Do you feel that the US has the same problem with her or do you see them coming from a completely different area?
This week as I reflected on things discussed in the class one thing that popped out to me that I know was from God was the understanding of what was nailed to the cross or done away with and for what purpose and why. It's awesome how God leads us to truth and the more we study in prayer with the guidance of the Holy Spirit the more light we can receive. On Thursday we talked about the continuing conflict in the SDA Church concerning the 1888 message Ellen White wrote to Jones and Waggoner on the Law and which law or laws has or hasn't been nailed to the cross or abolished. This new light made me feel good because I have a clearer understandng of the subject but bad because of the many times I've told people that the Ceremonial law and not the Moral Law was nailed to the cross. Now that I look back I have to acknowledge the many times I made this statement wishing I could say more to help others understand and didn't have the full understanding myself but because I didn't truly understand it myself when studying with non-Adventist I stuck to what I was used to. I especially felt bad about the times I'd tried to convince a very close friend on this issue who is a member of the Church of Christ. We would get into some pretty deep discussions about it until we decided not to talk about it any more because we weren't getting anywhere with the subject, just frustrated at times with each others concept of it. He was trying to convince me that I was in the wrong denomination and I as a new believer of the SDA church was trying to convince him that I was right and he was attending the wrong church. He was born from a lineage of ministers, his dad was a minister and so were his uncles so he had a lot of Bible knowledge--he was raised in a Christian home and taught of the Bible from an early age. I wasn't so I really didn't know much but what I thought I knew to be the truth I stood up for it so the Ceremonial Law and not the Moral Law being nailed to the cross was one of the truths I thought I needed to stand up for. After all, I had to have a reason for why I kept the Ten Commandments or defend why I attended church services on Saturday and using this theory as a denfense was all I knew. He never accepted it though because he believes that the Ten Commandments were nailed to the cross and because of that Christians don't have to keep them anymore, especially the Sabbath. He's still a memeber of that denomination and know as I sit in class hearing this new light I have to wonder if my misunderstanding is the reason why. This week it just so happens that I'd been studying the book of Galatians for my evening devotion and while reading the introduction to the book in the SDA Commentary I read that the term "law" in Galatians stands for the entire revelation at Sinai of God's rules for His children. I was stunned at first because I had always heard Pastors of the SDA church say that only the Ceremonial Laws were nailed to the Cross or done away with so for me this was new light. After reading I stopped to pray and asked for the guidance of the Holy Spirit because I thought maybe I was leaning to my own understanding of the theme of the book so I prayed and asked for guidance again on the subject. After going back over the introduction I reread the book focusing especially on chapters 2,3, and 4. I realized that the issue is not so much about the laws but how they were used by the Children of Israel to gain salvation. The laws were an objective to an end to lead them and us to Christ and no one can be saved by keeping them or obeying them to gain salvation but because we have salvation we should be obedient to the Law of God which Christ gives us the power to do. When the subject was brought out in class yesterday my soul leaped for joy because I knew for sure that God had given me new light for my soul. I understand know that the misunderstanding of the purpose of the law was done away with or nailed to the cross. It makes so much sense. I think quite a few of us in the class probably thought like this. What do we do about the many times I or we have told people this theory. Do we try to reach them all to confess our misunderstanding. When Ellen White realized her misunderstanding she made right her wrong. Let's pray about it and ask God for light and pray that everyone we've told this will somehow find the light for understanding on the subject. Lord, thanks for more light!
“Because Ellen G White says so that’s why you shouldn’t do…” Oh the many times I have heard this statement and with blind obedience I listened and followed. The problem would arise when someone would use a quote from Mrs. White that would go directly against another quote that I had from Mrs. White. Sadly, I believed that Mrs. White is shown as one having been a cold hearted legalistic woman bent of sucking all the fun out of life. This first week of class really gave me the opportunity to study this issues that I had with the image of Mrs. White. I was really impressed with the first week’s lessons and how we had the opportunity to ask the questions that we were having with our understanding of the prophet. The explanation of the defining attributes of a true prophet helped to clarify what a prophet is and what their job entails. We sometimes mix up the prophet with the God of the prophet. There is much unlearning that I am doing to really prepare my self for a better and deeper understanding of Ellen G White and her work. One issue that really sticks out was our studies on the remnant church and how the misunderstanding of this principle can lead us as a church astray. This brought up questions on the rigid setup of our church, in respect to our work to save the lost. We sometimes get so caught up as Seventh Day Adventists in the addition to the church roster instead of being interested in the lives of the people we are reaching out to. We, sometimes, get so caught up in baptizing them into the “Truth” that we don’t pay real attention to their spiritual walk and their needs. This reminded me of a situation in my work with the youth of my church in Florida, we set up bible studies with some youth from the community, with a group of bible workers who were training us to be more effective in our out reach. As the bible studies rolled on I realized that the gentlemen we were studying with were becoming anxious to move on with our bible studies, they began to make small jokes about how we were just doing the easy lessons. Now these men, though dressed like those of “the World”, were well versed in bible texts and scripture. They were attending the local Baptist church and are on fire for the Lord. We watched as their interest began to fade due to the fact that we were being trained to stick to the lessons no matter what the person wants. We brushed off their questions on the State of the Dead and on the Sabbath because we had to first build them up to the point where they could not fight against us. This tactic lacked the human element, and instead of listening to the wants of the people we were, as it were, so focused in following the set out route that we missed out on the scenery. So focused were we that we passed up the opportunity to be a good friend to insure what we saw as the main goal (baptism) was accomplished. This first week’s lectures opened my understanding of the role of the church in sole wining and how our rigid understanding of this set up can allow us to miss out on the beautiful, fluid structure that is more in harmony with what God would like and what the persons of our communities need. The charge then is to strive as a church to stop and smell the roses as we walk with new believers into a deeper truth in Jesus Christ.
There was a thought that came to my mind after the statement was made about living not to the letter of the law but to the spirit of it. While I understand the statement I thought about how some have related this statement to "Adventist Hot Potatoes." The senario using the Sabbath and going to the beach caused me to think about how some think that living to the spirit of the law (more freedom) and not to the letter of it (bondage)is used as an excuse for the breaking of the law or for a reason to think that this view of the law has brought more freedom from living according to God's law, statutes and commandments. I believe what God says He means. For example, the Forth Commandment says to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy and Isaiah 58:13 tell us how God will bless us if we turn away our foot from the Sabbth, from doing our own pleasure on His holy day. Is going to the beach on His holy day doing ones own pleasure? As I stated earlier, I understand the statement and the scenario. Going to the beach on Sabbath as stated in class would have to entail a person finding a place on the beach to be close to God where there is definitely no one else except the individual or being there with only those who are Sabbath keepers on the whole beach. If that's not the case I believe the individual would be drawn away from the intent of being there because if the other or others aren't Sabbath keepers they would be doing things that aren't lawful to do on Sabbath. Then the mind would be draw away from Christ. Isn't Sabbath keeping a sacrifice to God? The Sabbath is His time and going to the beach especially on a Saturday would be doing ones own pleasure. There are six other days that we have to go to the beach to spend time with God, if we can at that time for that reason and not be disturbed that wouldn't desecrate the Sabbath. One other thing that some do on the Sabbath and say they are living to the spirit of the law--go to restaurants. Is that pleasing to God? Some think that since we live to the spirit of the law and not to the letter of it if there hasn't been a meal prepared for Sabbath it's ok to go out to restaurants to eat on that day. Isn't that doing one's own pleasure? What's wrong with making the sacrifice to eat whatever is in the cupboards or refrigerator? After all couldn't a meal have been prepared earlier during the week. There are so many other ways we can have a meal without desecrating the Sabbath. I remember being invited to dinner at a couple's home and at the end of the meal we were asked to join in and discuss "Adventist Hot Potatoes." Some of the topics discussed were of course going to reastaurants on the Sabbath, the wedding ring and wearing jewelry, going to the theater, having cable in the home, and some other issues. These were really hot topics with a lot of different comments, answers and views for why or why not it is lawful to do these things. God's Word and the Spirit of Prophecy was so twisted and misunderstood. I wondered if some of us think some of the Adventist beliefs have changed. When I was considering becoming a member of the Adventist church I was given Bible studies and the reason given me for Adventist Christians not wearing wedding rings and other jewelry was because we live in the anti-typical day of atonement and just as God told the Children of Israel to take off theirs before they came to Him on that day we are to do the same. I also was told that we are to abstain from all appearances of evil therefore we should not attend theaters. Now I'm wondering, has the Adventist Message changed? Has our Prophet's word changed? Has what Adventist taught about these issues years ago been a lie? Do the principles of God's Word only apply in certain cultures? I know that times change and the way we do things sometimes change but God's Word never changes, and since Ellen White's words were inspired by God it never changes either. What shall we say then? Does living to the spirit of the law and not to the letter of it make us free from doing exactly what God says to do? In ending, another thought I had in class was the way to fully understand what God and the Spirit of Prophecy says on subjects and issues is to get all the facts and misunderstandings will be cleared up.
In the readings in section 2 I have seen a whole new side of the Prophet Ellen G White that I have never seen before and to be honest I love what I see. There is so much confusion in the Seventh Day Adventist Church about the writings and sayings of Mrs. White and in this confusion we have lost many of our members. What I would like to do is take a look at some of the points that stuck out to me in this reading and our second week of lecture. One of the main things that jump out from these studies is the fact that the real Ellen G White is not the stuffy, strict, and mean spirited woman that had been introduced to me in the past. So many in the church speak of her as such a strict and rigid person with no real emotion, like a robot made only to follow the rules and those who don’t follow the laws are to be tossed out to the curb. One quote that really opens my eyes to the heart of Mrs. White was when she states “…self should be hid in Jesus. I wish self to be crucified. I do not claim infallibility, or even perfection of Christian character. I am not free from mistakes and errors in my life.” I think that we as Adventist can learn a lot form this quote, we need to realize that the prophet wants us to focus on God the true light and not her lesser light. This idea should not negate the lesser light but instead when we place her writings in there proper context we are less likely to misquote and defame the prophet and her writings. Another sign of this humbleness in her ministry was when she wrote about the Cause of sickness. Mrs. White wrote “When Christ healed disease, He warned many of the addicted ones, ‘Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee’ (John 5: 14). Thus he taught that they had brought diseases upon themselves by transgressing the laws of God, and health could only be preserved by obedience” The Ministry of Healing page 113. After reading this I said to myself “AH HA! I have heard this once before”. I really had a hard time moving off this line, “how could she say this?” I said to myself. How can a woman who seems to be sick most of her life say that sickness comes form the sins of the person or their ancestors? Having a mother who is fighting cancer and a sister that struggles with sick-a-cell, and I struggled with this thought how could these things could be their fault. Now what was so awesome about this prophet was that she was willing to fix what she said and fix her mistakes. Ellen White writes later that “I have sinned and yet I love Jesus. I have fallen many times, and yet He has reached out His hand to save me. I have told Him all about my mistakes. I have confessed with shame and sorrow that I have dishonored him. I have looked to the cross and have said, all this He suffered for me. The Holy Sprit has shown me my ingratitude, my sin in putting Christ to open shame. He knows no sin has forgiven my sin. He calls me to a higher, nobler life, and I press on to the things that are before.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2 p.777. We need to show this side of our prophet a woman who understands and loves those who are hurting around her this is the character of God. Another point that brought Mrs. White into a more human view was the testimony of her financial situation. To see how she, though financially burdened, still made a way to open her home and give to those less fortunate than her. In reading some of the accounts of her situation it is hard to think that there existed anyone in lower financial situation than she, because to me it sounds like she doesn’t have anything in the first place. This testimony speaks volumes to supplying power that our God provides. Then to be in such financial crisis and was able to have saved $30,000, not for her self but to give to the ministry, shows how committed she was to the betterment of the movement more than helping herself. A great way to see the character of a person is to observe those persons as they deal with life’s trials. Some of us when the storms of life comes up against us we sometimes loose our faith in the Lord but when we really have a good connection to the source of power before our trials when they come they just harden that connection to God. Now dose that mean that there will be no tears shed or moments that we are unsure, NO, but it does mean that when those questions arise the answer is “Jesus lives and reigns.” When we talk about trials, Ellen White really went through a fair share of serious trials with the losses of her sons Henry and Herbert we see her standing up to the test with the heart of a loving mother. Henry’s death speaks volumes to the up brining that he enjoyed due to the fact that this young man uses this opportunity to witness to all he can and to affirm and comfort his family. There is so much more about the life and ministry of Ellen G White that is now starting to come to light in my readings. I see more how we have really given this woman a bad name by our misuse of her works. Many in the SDA church have used her writings to build boundaries and establish walls between the people, when she was one who wanted to break down those walls of separation. Some teach that she is to be read in the same manner as we do the bible and that her works are on the same level as the bible, while the prophetess asks not to be placed on that level. We have been given a great gift and instead of destroying it we need to learn how to appreciate it.
In reading sections 3 and 4 and this week’s lectures many new ideas have been brought to light and some slipped further into the foggy realms of misunderstanding. The lectures were once again very insightful and thought provoking and to be honest for a guy who likes to talk, most left me a little speechless. In the readings I was also left in a speechless state, sometimes for good reasons and in other places not so good, so let’s take a reflective look back at some of these issues. In chapter 16 I found it once again fulfilling to see Douglass re-emphasizing Ellen White’s position on the importance of the word of God as the main rule in the Christian life. It is amazing to see how much she wanted her works not to be claimed as infallible, which sad to say many Adventists today don’t follow. I think that it is worth noting that she did not call herself a prophetess but a messenger and in doing so opened the idea to me that maybe she wanted us not to take everything that she wrote as direct prophecies to our time. I find some try to make every sentence that she may have written to a friend or church member as directed specifically to our church. Furthermore, she tells us to allow those that don’t know the word of God to first study the scripture and ground themselves in the truth. She says that her writings come into play with those who believe in scripture and her writings will help them obtain a clearer understanding of the 3rd angel’s message. This opens another question, should pastors in the Adventists faith preach on the authority of the writings of the messenger, like many do today, or on the words found in scripture? I really enjoyed readings about the visions that she had and how they had a way of bringing those that they were given for, to a deeper understanding of the work of God in their daily lives. One such incident was that of Mr. N.D. Faulkhead. I have had the opportunity to do some surface research on the activates of the freemason movement and how secretive there society is. The simple fact that a woman would know the hand symbols of this organization shows that she had to have received this information from a higher source. To be so accurate on these practices that she would open the eyes of Mr. Faulkhead so wide that he immediately dropped this association is to me remarkable. This story dose point out another thing that got my attention and that was how easy it is to sway the members of this church of truth then and now. Mr. Faulkhead was a man with prominence in the church and yet he was involved in freemasonry! Well we would say, “That was just one man, that is not the state of the whole church”, but to my amazement I read the whole Indiana conference was lead astray with the “Holy Flesh Movement”. As I read I wondered, how a whole conference can including the President can be led so far off the path of truth. The answer is the same then as today, when we fail to study the word of God we are but way ward sheep looking for a master and willing to accept any that comes our way. Now the issue that I really have a hard time with is that of the race relations issues that Adventist church faced but unfortunately the book dose little to clear up this issue for me. As an African American with Caribbean ancestry, I fail to see how the actions taken by the Adventist church was helpful to the cause for freedom and equality of the people in the “United” States. I read with an open mind trying to see any clear evidence that the church was actively fighting for the less fortunate “Coloreds” in their community but all I saw were small drops in the bucket. I am grateful however, that they at least made a few statements about the issue and opened a “Black” Collage, but was this standing up to the injustices or just saving face in the black community while not directly offending the “White” congregation. Now that we are years into the future, can we look back and say that what was done then was worth it due to what we have now. I am still shaky about this due to the fact that the church is now still divided and race relations is just a fraction better that it was then. We have yet to see a Black GC President, and most of the heads of the major organizations of the church today, is still run almost entirely by the Caucasian brethren. Is this necessarily a bad thing, no, but to me I believe that when we speak of a church of diversity and understanding I would think that at least our leadership would represent these ideals. On the local level I have watch with my own eyes how when too many blacks move into a majority white church the white members move out, in some cases just down the block and starting another church. I think we are lying to ourselves when we try to act as if this issue is not openly present in our church today and until we take time to deal with it, we will sit in a neutral position, unable to move forward. I believe that when outsiders look at our church and its structure, all they see is a church stuck in the dark ages of “Jim Crow”. With black and white conferences what type of witness are we to the diverse communities we serve. There is so much that we have to learn and so far left to go, I sometimes wonder if we will ever be ready as a church for Christ second coming. How long will we need before we learn that is not a matter of saving face but a matter of serving the Lord in the fullest sense? It dose not matter how many members are in the pew if none are ready to meet the Lord when he comes again. As the old proverb states “action speaks louder than words”, so are we ready for action or more words?
The first week of class was very interesting. We had lengthy discussions and many questions on discerning the gifts of a prophet. The bible has given us many texts to help us understand what a prophet is. Yet the class seemed pretty divided in what the word of God uses to identify who or what a prophet should be. It appears to me that many of us have our own ideals of what a prophet does. I got the sense that some of us treat the prophets as though they are God and not human beings who represents or communicates to us God’s thoughts. We question their authenticity and believe that as a prophet they should be infallible and not fallible. We seem to forget they too are humans like us and can make mistakes. As I read section II there was a quotation from Ellen White saying she never claimed infallibility, or even perfection of Christian character. I found this book to be very insightful. I discovered things that I never knew before. For instance, I did not know that Ellen White had a twin sister named Elizabeth. Another amazing fact that I discovered in my reading was the reason Ellen White never went far in her education. I knew that everyone said that Ellen White had up to a third grade education. I never knew that her schooling became impossible due to a massive blow she suffered to the head by a rock. The author does a good job showing us how a prophet leads a normal life as everyone else does. This book gives us simple examples which Ellen White discusses her life as a wife to James and as a mother to her children. It is amazing to know that though you are called by God that you are still human. This is very interesting to know because the entire examples we have read in the Bible, Jesus was the only one called by God who was perfect from birth to death. I believe this book has brought out a lot of questions that I am not certain if they will be answered. How can a prophet’s theology of God change so frequently? If the prophet is to be the voice of God to deal with a particular time, how can the people believe what the prophet says when the prophet is also confused by the message the Lord gives? As I continued reading the writer gives helpful examples that I needed to be familiar with, for instance John visions was not always clear to him. We find that he was later give an explanation at that time God saw fit to reveal the rest of the vision. He gives suggestions on the different parts of Ellen’s life as a profit that we can benefit most, learning from. Messenger of the Lord makes me pay close attention to my lifestyle and the lifestyle of other Seminarians. Many of us are here in the Theological Seminary and we too feel the calling of God on our lives. We have all made mistake here in school and will continue to make human era when we get out in the fields of pastoral ministry, chaplaincy or teaching. The book has taught me two valuable lessons thus far in my reading of Ellen’s Life. First lesson I found this reading is tailored to teach us that it is vital that we stay connected to God. If E.G. White never stayed connected with God she would have left the faith after 1844’s great disappointment. And when people criticized who she was and her authenticity as a prophet she would have quit. The second lesson that I received from Douglass’s writing of Mrs. White we must take pride in our integrity as ministers of this Gospel. Ellen’s willingness to live for God and do His will, I believe allowed God to do something extra special in an ordinary and fallible woman. That is what makes God, God; He can use ordinary people to do His will.
The second week has progressed into an amazing spin off the first week of classes. I found our discussion on the remnant to be most intriguing. God calls out a certain group to help finish the work, but because we are considered a peculiar people we maintain certain arrogance. The Seventh Day Adventist Church is no different from Ancient Israel, our pride of knowing that we are chosen by God makes us uninviting and no one wants to join our church. Another important factor that I found in our second week of class discussion is learning how to respect other religions, as well as trying to understand what they believe. I agree that this is the most effective way to evangelize to a community of a different belief system or to someone who believes more in science than they believe in creation. There was a statement made in class that put a lot of things in perspective: “we are the remnant because of our mission not because we are Adventist.” I want to be able to teach that concept to every church that I serve as a pastor. Too often we forget why we are considered great. Like Israel we are falling into the trap of believing that our greatness is of our doing, and not realizing that it is only because of God’s grace that we have a unique identity. The statement that was made by Paul in 1st Corinthians 7:12 “I speak not the Lord” is interesting. Most of my life I thought everything that was written in the bible was God explaining to His servant what to write. I never knew that some of the writings were just the thoughts of the author. I guess because they understood the dynamics of where they ministered; the things that they stated that were not directly from God were still inspired thoughts because of the relationship they had with God. God gave their words strength. In my new experience of reading Ellen White there have been quite a few discoveries. I was surprised when I read that in 1840’s the Millerites had their “millennial expectations, were predisposed… to the powerful outpouring of charismatic prophesying, tongues, healings, and other signs and wonders which fulfilled the biblical promise for the last days.”(p.134) Knowing this made me have hope for our times of struggle. I see that God allowed the day of Pentecost to come in Bible times and gift of prophecy in Ellen’s time. I now believe that there will come a time where God will allow the Holy Spirit to unite us that there maybe another day like Pentecost. It hard to watch God’s people stagnant and there is no change on this earth taking place. God’s word must be delivered that everyone would have an opportunity to know, experience and make a definitive answer to serve Him or not, so that He can come back and take us from this world. It was astonishing to know why God called Ellen White to be His prophet. She stated that it is because we are unfamiliar with the scriptures and not reaching the bible standard of Christian perfection; if we tried we would not need the Testimonies. I take great comfort in knowing that God could have allowed us to suffer for not trying to stay connected through His word that was already made plain to follow. I appreciate the fact that God chose another way to help us. He gave us Ellen White to help us defend the word of God and protect us from those that were teaching us false doctrines that was not biblically sound. Ellen White gift was amazing yet scary, she gave an account of having to rebuke a person that was living in sin and going into vision letting people know publicly. She recognized a preacher’s voice which triggered a vision that he left his original family and remarried therefore living an adulterous life.
“Study to show thyself approved” this statement is true in every part of our life. The week began with our first quiz and in was nerve racking yet fun. Our quiz helped me realize that I have learned a lot more than I could imagine. The quiz felt like end time events, everyone was to answer questions upon request. It was a great feeling to know the answers of the questions asked to my fellow classmates. Yet the feeling changes when you are on the spot and you’re not so sure of your answers anymore. After taking a closer look at the quiz on Monday. I recognized it was the spring board to some of the discussions we had in class. For instance, we pondered on the statement; “know your theology now at the time of peace, so you can stand in time of trouble.” I found this statement to be true from my experience with the quiz. It was difficult to try and retain all the material for class. I could only imagine how much harder it would be to learn or memorize information during the pressure of troubled times. During the week the class discussions were in interesting especially the three social issues: race, class, gender. “The bible points out that we have a problem with these social issues that we must heal.” It was said that the problems here are signs of Babylon; and we are so busy preaching to the world “come out of her my people.” I was a little confused as to what we must do when trying to evangelize to the world. The lectures show that we must keep everything Christ centered, biblical based and relevant to the world. I understand that we must always remember this cycle in order to effectively reach the masses. In order for us to make change in this world especially when it involves the social issues such as: race class and gender; we must make things relevant. “Unless an issue is relevant to us we won’t address it.” Too often we evangelize with out recognizing the desires of those living in our neighborhood. It is my hope and prayer that we as a church can learn the needs of our communities. This will bring us closer to them having a way of connection where they would feel like their needs are being met and not ignored. Relevance and recognition of a people group needs show true care and concern for their well being. Our reading for the week has great significance to me. I was very pleased with the information this book has shared in this section. Most of this book has given brief descriptions of what has taken place overall in Ellen’s life. I read statements that helped me to have a better understanding of the involvement of James and Ellen White and the church movement world wide. “Though they were the human center of a worldwide movement, neither claimed recognition, reward, or even earthly comforts.” This example of their life is of great significance to me as a minister. Too often we find ministers looking for acknowledgment in ministry and people look to them for answers instead of God. This is a standard that I want to uphold for my ministry. I want to do the work of the Lord without looking for people to adore me, or to base the success of my ministry on the approval and praise of people. “The Whites fearlessly denounced the evils of social order; and they also led tens of thousands in their day to catch a picture of how the gospel brings spiritual, social and physical restoration in this life.” I pray that I will have the balance that they had in their ministry. I appreciate seeing what it would take in terms of dedication, organization, and being spirit led to have a successful ministry.
Evangelista Polanco The Life and Ministry of E.G.W Professor: Dr. Martin Hanna
Reflection Experience for Week One
During the first three days of classes, I could learn a lot of information about the Spirit of prophecy. First of all, in order to understand the minister of Ellen G.White, we should learn that Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy reveled in the book of revelation 19:10. Also, we should know when a prophet comes from god or not. The whole Bible testifies of Jesus. He was the fulfillment of the Old Testament. When we study the word of God we have to pay attention to the living word that is the message, and not to the writing word that is the instrument. Both are important, but the living word takes us to see the importance of our mission as Christians. If we do not have a good relationship with God we will not understand his word. That is logical to think that in order to understand his word, we must to be following what God tell us to do. Also, we should share our knowledge about Jesus, with others that do not know the Gospel. There are four revelation of the testimony of God. The first is that Christ is the revelation of God. Also, the Scriptures, the church and the cosmos are the revelation of God. In addition, I could understand that Christ is the incarnation, the Scriptures is the inspiration, the church is the illumination and the cosmos is the creation. Furthermore, I could understand that Christ, the Scriptures, the church, and the cosmos are the Word of God. Last, Christ is the ruler, the Scripture is the rule, the church is ruled, and the cosmos is the context. As member of the church, all of us shoud be a testimony of God. The purpose of God is that we as church illuminate the world. God chose a church to illumintae the world with His word. We understand that the Seventh Day Advesntist church is the institution that God formed as amovement to announce the prophecies that were misunderstood. Ellen G. White is the messenger that God chose in order to guide His people. The writing of Ellen White are the less light that point to the big light which is the Bible. All of her writings teach us to follow the Scriptures. In the Early Writings she states that the Bible is the rule of faith. The Bible states when a prophet belongs to God or not. If we look the verses of Isaiah 8:20, Matthews 7:20, and Deuteronomy 18:22, they declare if a prophet follows the law of God, the name of God, and the fruit of following God. As seventh day Adventist we understand that Ellen White fulfill all the requirements as a prophetess. We accept that she is an extra biblical prophet, and her writing guides us to understand the Bible. Also, we understand that the Seventh Day Adventist is the remnant church. God has always had a remnant. Those who have faith and have relationship with God are the remnant, and the purpose of God is to have spiritual remnant not an institution. To sum up, the Bible is the only, the primary and the final rule that we should follow. The institution have been called for a mission that is to spread the message, not to convert people.
There were several themes that we could learn during the second week of classes. For example, how careful we have to be when we read the writings of Ellen G. White, how to understand the word "the messanger of the Lord", how to interpret the lesson of the stories of the Bible, the sanctuary and the challenges of the pastors. When we read the writings of Ellen White, we have to be careful. First of all, we should study her writings in its context as a guide. Also, we should not use her writings as a command. We have to remember that she was an instrument that God used to guide us. Even the Scriptures we have to be careful when we read it. We have to read the thought and then look at the context because a text without a context is a pretext. Thus, every paragraph is part of the book, everything out of the text affect what the context says. To better understand the bible and Ellen White writings we should read the whole context. Sometimes the messenger of the Lord in the Bible is represented by an angel (Rev. 1:1, 22:16), but as we can look on Malachi 3:1 Jesus Christ is represented as the messenger of the Lord. Ellen White did not state herself as a prophet because people misunderstand the meaning of the word prophet. People are still not well educated to understand the mission of a prophet. If we pay attention what 1Peter1:7-12 stated we would understand the mission of the prophet. People feel more confotable with the word messenger to represent Ellen g. White than the word prophet. A prophet is one who minister the things that the Lord has told them to do. Their work is to preach the gospel guided by the Holy Spirit. What a true prophet do is what God has reveled to him or her. All of us can be a messeger of the Lord. As soon as we know the message of Christ we should share it. Sometime prophets did not understand the message that God told them to teach. One of them was Daniel whe had the vision about the last days of the world. To interpret the Bible lessons and Ellen White writings we have to be open mind. We should not understand the Bible for our convenience. Therefore the Christianism has been divide in a without number of different churches. A lot of stories were given as a message of those days or a special person. For example, we have the story of Abraham when God told him to offer his son, his unique son, that message was for Abraham. That story stop there. It is not a final message that have to be continue today. From the same history in the Old Testament, God has a different message for today. The sanctuary message is symbolic and at the same time is literal. It is symbolic because it represents the one that is in Heaven, and it is literal because it can be seen. The message of the sanctuary is about the presence of God. God wanted to dwell with His people, that was the major focus of the sanctuary message. Other message is primary about communion with God. Everything about the sanctuary was undersood when the prophecy was fulfilled. It was in 1844. God gave to His followers the meaning of the prophecy. Jesus Christ the messiah was ministering in the Holy place, and then at the same very day in the year 1844, He passed to most Holy place. The sanctuary teach us about the judgement and it was a fulfillment of the minister of Christ. Therefore, it was literal and symbolic. The challenges of the pastor is to confront the problems of the church. The pastor need the Holy spirit in order to stand in ministry. As Christians we need to understand the work of the pastor. They are not in church to be judges. Our challenge is to proclame the message without judgement. Finally, this week all the readings and experience that I had, helped me to understand better the work of Ellen White as the messenger of the Lord, and to recognize that the Sanctuary was literal and symbolic. Furthermore, everything that I learned is a good experience for me. Now I will share the message with better understanding.
After we had our oral quiz on Monday 23, 2007, we were reviewing what we studied for the quiz. For the rest of the week some of us were asking questions about Helen White's Spirit of prophecy, the reformation in our church, the visions of Ellen White, the divinity and humanity of Christ, the Scripture, the church and the creation, and quiestions about the moral an ceremonial law. The spirit of prophecy of Ellen White came from God in order to guide His church to undestand the prophecies. There are five books that belong to the spirit of prophecy , these books are: The Great Controversy, Patriarchs and prophets, Prophets and Kings, desire of Ages, and The Act of the Apostles. These books state the history of the church, and how to have a good spiritual and physical lifestyle. Everything that is happening in this world, is part of the gospel such as the global warming, and terror around the world. As part of the last remnant church, we the Seventh day Adventists should include these kind of themes in our preachings in a Jesus Christ point. Ellen White saw in vision a small group of people which were keeping the commandments of God. I understand that they are the remnant of the SDA church. People who are inside the church that are following the lamb every where that goes. People that instead of being judges of theirs brothers and of the church, they are sharing what they know about the gospel. God has given to the SDA the gift of the spirit of prophecy in the person of Ellen White. She stated that if a person study the Bible with desire she or he would not need the testimoies, that is her writings. I think that she was right saying this. When we study the Bible with interest, and desire and prayers, the Lord would gave us understanding of His word, and we won't need any other guide, but we are lazy people that prefer to read Ellen G. White writhngs than to study the Bible by ourselve. There were several characteristics that distinguished her as a real prophet. First, her inconscious of everything around her. Second, she did not breathe. Third, her muscles became rigid. Fourth, she could distinguish in the dark the most brillian objects. The four revelation of God are human and divine. Christ, the Bible, the church, and the cosmos are human and divine. The four revelation are truly, perfectly, undividely and unmixdly. We can not separate the human from the divinity, them the ultimate reality is God, if people denied God, then the ultimate reality stay there. We can not understand misteries of God unless if it is a miracle or a gift. The moral and ceremonial law is understood at looking at the cross of Christ. The moral law was not abolished when Jesus Christ died. Either, the ceremonial law was abolished, but it was fulfilled. The ceremonial law is a symbol, a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ,(col.2:17). When Paul said that the law was nailed it to the Cross, this not mean that it was abolished, but no longer under condenation. The moral law was divided in two great commandments. The first one refers to the first four commandments of the ten commandments and the second great commandment refer to the last six commandment of God's law. To love God with all of our heart and to love our neighbors as ourselves. The fourth commandment that refers to the sabbath the day of the Lord is a sign between God and His people in order to remember His creation. To sum up, we should have relationship with our God Father in order to understand the mission of our church and ourselve mission. Studing the Bible, and using the writings of Ellen White we will understand better our mission.
In the past few days, we have studied Ellen White’s view on the law in scripture. Our class has focused our discussion on three basic areas: the law as school master, the handwriting nailed to the cross, and the definition/difference/distinction between the moral and ceremonial laws. On first glance, the implications appear to be: either we should follow all of the law (including ceremonial), or we should ignore the law (including moral). But, first, we must understand that the law must be seen through the prism of Jesus Christ. And while his life and ministry are important, it is the cross that stands at the crux of his incarnation. In a sense, the crucifixion delineates between the old and new covenants, as symbolized by the sacrifice of the Lamb and the divine tear of the inner sanctuary veil. To answer the question of whether the law was abolished, one must keep in mind that primarily the law is a transcript of God’s character. Apart from Him, it holds no resonance. In addition to revealing the character of God, the moral and ceremonial laws have multiple functions. The law prophesies the antitype of the Messiah, sets rules and rituals for human and human-divine relationships, and brings sinners to a realization of their condition. To answer the question of whether the law was abolished when it was nailed to the cross, one must remember what else was nailed to the cross – Jesus Christ. Yet, no one would ever say that Christ was done away with. Rather than being abolished at the cross, Jesus was fulfilled. Likewise, the law was fulfilled at the cross. In Matthew 5:17, Christ says, “I have not come to destroy the law but to fulfill the law.” So what is this law? When Jesus refers to the law, He knows it better than anyone since it was He who created the law, wrote the law, shared the law, and embodied the law. The term “law and the prophets” can refer to the entire old covenant (Old Testament). Also, law can refer to the five books of the Pentateuch. Or the law can refer to the ceremonial law of rituals and the moral law of the Decalogue. First, the role of the law as a schoolmaster has been fulfilled and abolished in Galatians 3. The law was never meant to save, but to lead to the One who saves. Romans 3 states salvation has always been by faith, so keeping the law (moral or ceremonial) never saved anyone. 2 Corinthians 3 states that the letter (of the law) kills, but the Spirit gives life. The chapter even refers to the ministry that brings death was engraved in letters on stone. Even the moral law by itself can only point out sin which should then bring the sinner to Christ. The law that was nailed to the cross in Colossians 2 is simply the misappropriation of God’s law, both moral and ceremonial. Legalism had so veiled the original intent of God’s law, that only Christ could fulfill it. The spiritual significance of the law was never done away with. To better understand what was done away with, one must understand what it meant for something to be nailed to the cross. In Roman society, a sign signifying the crime of the criminal was nailed to their cross. If Christians have been crucified with Christ, then they and all the accusations against them have been nailed to the cross. And as Christ has been resurrected, so too those who believe in Him are also resurrected, and delivered from the record of their wrongs. They now walk according to the Spirit and not the flesh. It was faith all along that saved them. Ephesians 2 refers to Jesus abolishing the enmity which is the law of commandments contained in ordinances. It was never the law that needed to be changed. It was the misappropriation of the moral and ceremonial laws. The fact that Jesus had to die proves that the law was not abolished, but only the misunderstanding of the law as savior. The law can be said to be moral, ceremonial, and even natural. There is a distinction, but not a dichotomy. While the moral and natural laws may have existed since creation, the ceremonial was given to fulfill a specific purpose as a shadow of the Reality. The ceremonial law was a part of daily life that pointed to the spiritual significance of daily life. People in the Near Middle East were already killing lambs, so God wanted to take the ordinary experiences of life and show their spiritual significance. Even today, Christians can remember that Jesus is the bread of life every time they have a meal. It is the cross that truly brings out the holistic meaning of the law in everyone’s life. All of life is moral, ceremonial, and natural if people seek to bring spirituality into everything. The only way this is possible is through focusing on Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, Christians will fall into the trap of simply turning off and on their spirituality. Just like the Jews, if the ritual becomes more important than the intent, then the external action becomes the end-all instead of the internal mindset and attitude. Too often the danger becomes – no ritual… no spirituality. There is no conversion of the heart and mind. As Paul would say, the only circumcision that counts is of the heart and mind. Christ had to come and redefine the law which had been hijacked and abused. Likewise, Christians today must seek a balanced relationship with the Law (Christ). The oversimplified and “either-or” understanding of the law must be abolished. Christ did not abolish the law, He fulfilled it.
Philip Dah Professor Hanna GSEM 532 July 16, 2007 Class and Reading Reflection of Week 1 My class experience thus far has been enjoyable and informative. I have learned quite a bit about EGW since I grew up Seventh-day Adventist but this class has already brought new insights. I really enjoyed looking at what is the Biblical teaching of Spirit of Prophecy. I originally had a vague and naive understanding that Spirit of Prophecy meant being able to prophecy about the future. Now I see how it is the testimony of Jesus. This Biblical view is so much more empowering and encouraging. It is encouraging to see that this same Spirit has worked throughout history. There were several points that came out this week that caught my attention. One is how scripture, the church, nature, and ultimately Jesus Christ are a revelation of God. The illiterations of Incarnation, Inspiration, Illumination, and Creation are too much technicalities for me but nevertheless, it is amazing to see how God’s character is revealed in many ways. Smaller points that came out that I also thought were valuable to note was how we must be careful that we are not so amazed of the miracle of EGW that we get stuck on that and forget that EGW’s message was to point us to Christ. I would also add that we must be very careful and prayerful that our chracter does not present EGW or Jesus Christ in the wrong way. I have seen many come to disregard or even hate EGW and when speaking with them carefully we came to discover that their view came from the person that told them of EGW. We cannot talk about EGW or Jesus in a non-loving and cold way or that is what the listener will think of them. For those who argue against felt needs I tell them that a person who has been shown that they are loved will be much more eager to learn about why we should be vegetarian. A study of the remnant also brought many new insights. I am shocked at some of the views I grew up with and I see that there is much need for growth in the Seventh-day Adventist church. The first big eye opener was the view of what remnant means. I struggled with whether our church is the remnant because of the way it was portrayed to me when growing up. I was taught that our church was the remnant in a way that only those who are Seventh-day Adventist will be saved. It was either one was “in” or “out”. Looking at how God has worked in history with his remnant gives much encouragement that God is working today and in the future. I believe that our church has been called for a special purpose. We must spread the news of the Three Angels. I am afraid that sometimes we do forget that it is about Jesus. But I am encouraged to see that we are in a class that is willing to discuss and ponder over these matters and to go forth from this school to call all to Christ. The short discussion on the structure of the SDA church was informative. I did not realize that our church was made of many satellite organizations. It was encouraging to see that only through God’s power could such a conglomeration stay together and work together. I am also encouraged to see that we do not necessarily have to work for the GC but that God can call us to another supporting organization or to start a new ministry. I enjoyed the reading very much. Learning about EGW personally has made her wiriting more personal and real. It is hard to realize sometimes that she was also a regular person who lived as a human as we do. It was especially hard to learn how she lost two sons and how she fainted at the funeral of her newborn. It was very encouraging though to see how strong in faith her teenage son was while dying of pnemonia. I was very amazed that even while on the brink of death he testified of Jesus and was a positive influence to those around him. Overall, this past week has brought many new insights and I pray that God will continue to bless our class with wisdom and that He will continue to speak to us through His Scriptures.
Philip Dah Professor Hanna EGW 23 July 2007 Reaction of Week 2 and Reading This past week has been enjoyable, especially the discussions. However, I need to put more effort to participate in the discussions. Again, I learned that there is so much more that I do not know, even growing up as Seventh-day Adventist and that many of the views that I had growing up are contrary to what is in the Bible. The first thing that caught my attention I in class was looking at our Fundamental Beliefs #11 where all those who are of Christ are part of His universal church. This is contrary to what I learned growing up where I was taught that only those in the Seventh-day Adventist are part of His church. I am as much to blame in this aspect but I still feel that the area where I grew up did little to promote the study of the Bible and EGW and of our church and instead promoted just listening to what those in authority said. I also noted on Monday when looking at 1 Corinthians 11 how when looking closer at the text we see that Paul was actually saying that both men and woman are equal since both are of God. I did not realize that the same text that many use to promote woman having a lesser role is actually misread. I wonder however, how we can carefully teach those in the church without offending or starting huge disagreements. Looking at how EGW calls herself a messenger was interesting since that I believe it is still relevant today. Among my peers, who are not in the seminary, the status of EGW is still a very touchy subject especially since many of them had negative experiences with EGW. Not because of her writing but because of people who were quoting her. Having a Biblical understanding of messenger allows us to show that God is definitely using her but at the same time as not to offend some. I also especially noted how God uses Spirit of Prophecy uplift the church to a better level and how we must be careful not to let the newer level of 100 years ago to become the norm for today. I am encouraged knowing that God can speak today to bring us to even newer levels with Him. Finally this week in class I was blessed when we looked a little at the sanctuary message. I also believe that it does not have to be an either or situation and that in reality all things can have both real and symbolic meanings. I think this supports that people do not discuss topics solely based on an intellectual basis but also have emotional and personal aspects that affect how they believe. I also especially noted how we can answer the question of what happened in 1888. It was totally new although very plain to see that what happened that was so great was the event of the Great Disappointment itself where God’s character and work was revealed in greater light to mankind. I am still completing the reading of Section III but one chapter that especially touched me was the one on timely instruction and predictions, especially the part of “visions directed to secret problems”. This touched me because looking back on my life and even very recently I can see that God has intervened to save me from choices that would not have been good. And I am very thankful for His intervention. Some of these choices were not necessarily moral choices but in direction of career and how I was going to spend my life. After reading this chapter my eyes were opened to see that my choices did have huge affects on my spiritual health. I also noted how EGW said that the rise of papal power would happen in the USA. This is crucial because I remember some doubt, even in myself, when I was young growing up. However, I firmly believe it today and I believe that there is strong evidence even more recent that what is included in the textbook.
Philip Dah Professor Hanna GSEM 532 July 29, 2007 Reflection Paper of Class/Week 3 and Section IV of Reading This third week has been another informative and enjoyable week. The discussion style of class is enjoyable, especially to hear the opinions and perspectives of one’s classmates. The quiz style was also a relief to the regular methods for quizzes and provided a creative way for the professor to promote studying. The class discussion on “coming out” was noted because it was encouraging to realize that God uses people and institutions despite their faults. It was also a new perspective that God is sad when a people’s heart is so hardened that He must form a new institution. It is also a warning to us that we must not harden our hearts toward God. I was able to more clearly see that the final coming out would be a spiritual one. One final note was that it was important to see that other issues such as race, gender, and family are just as much signs of Babylon as Sunday keeping. I especially noted the discussion on sin because it made clearer in my mind how the problem is that we do not recognize that we’re a creature. Thus we are wholly dependent on God and must pray everyday as Jesus did when He was here on Earth. This tied in with our studies in another class, Introduction to Old Testament. There we learned that without a relationship with God we eventually self corrupt ourselves. Eventually as we self corrupt we begin to hurt others around us and at that point God has to intervene to protect people. I also found interesting how we noted that Jesus took vacations and how Jesus was tempted in all manners and so must have been attracted to women. I realize that I must challenge myself in my preconceptions of possibly making Jesus less human that he really was. I remember also as a child asking my teacher why did James White die so young. I found it hard to believe as a child that someone who worked so hard for Christ could die early. I now realize that we must work hard but not overwork ourselves where is hurts us physically and that rest is part of God’s design as well. The discussion about the law was most interesting. It brought to my mind the story of Mary Magdalene when she was about to be stoned. Then Jesus said he who is without sin cast the first stone. I find we easily can talk to others about their faults without realizing we have faults as well. I also thought of Matthew 5 where Jesus said that I do not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. He also fulfilled it with the new light that he brought to the law. For example he said being angry without cause puts one in danger. So he instructed that if one is angry at you to first reconcile with the one who is angry before worshiping because he is in danger. This Jesus fulfilled because we were first angry at God, and many of us even called Him names. Yet Jesus came to us to reconcile with us even while we were angry at Him. I think that if we see the spirit of the law which is God’s character of love, we cannot deny the law by any means. I believe the Ten Commandments is really a simplified version for humans to see but the God’s law is really so deep and perfect we can only barely glimpse how wonderful it really is. The reading of Section IV was encouraging in that we can see how God has worked to guide the Seventh-day Adventist church. To see the many issues come up such as with the 1888 general conference and see God work is encouraging for our future. We can believe that God will guide us and give us the wisdom we need to be future leaders. It was also encouraging to see how God used EGW in Australia even though it was not necessarily His calling at first.
Reflection Paper Week 2 Within this first week of class I have been able to enjoy some aspects of the class. I the following paragraphs I will give my reflection of this class within the first week in both reading section 2 and Appendix P and also the interaction within the class. Personally I have been in the Adventist Church all my life but really never have been introduced to sister White as I have in this first week of this class. I personally did not study much of her books or even received the interest of studying many of her writing but within just this first week I have learned so much of her life that has sparked an interest of learning much more of what she has to offer for my own spiritual life and the lives of other I can encounter. One aspect that I really appreciated learning this week was the aspect of what are the biblical aspects of prophets. I really appreciated how Dr. Hanna presented the four revelation of first Christ, second the Scriptures, third the church, and lastly the creation. Nevertheless, all these revelations work together for the great mission of the journey of salvation of the fallen human kind. In addition, being able to distinguish prophets for me was very important because there are so many people that say that they are prophets and now being able to distinguish the fake from reality is essential. In learning this process I was able to learn that the prophet should be a person that is Christ center, biblical, and relevant to the days that we are living. With these easy steps to determine a prophet I could notice and measure everyone that declares that he/she is a prophet. Nevertheless, as studying more the writing of Sister Ellen G. White I have notice that she could be considered a prophet. On the other hand, while reading the book Messenger of the Lord by Herbert E. Douglass I was able to further understand who Sister White was and her journey in being a prophet. Interestingly, Sister White was probably not the perfect person as a prophet in many of the human eyes, but thank God that He is the one who choose who to use and not us humans. I really enjoyed learning about the condition of Sister Harmon at that time. When at an early age suffered a tragic accident of a blow to the head in which she had to stop her education another human impediment of being a prophet but not for God. Once more I could see that Sister White was destined n being a prophet even when all the odds and human capability is against it. On the other hand, I really enjoyed seeing that Sister White was not a perfect woman and that God did not protect her of any harm. Sister White did suffer hard time but the difference of Sister White and many other that had the opportunity was that she was dedicated and committed to the will of God. One of the most impressive part o her suffer that impacted me the most was she lost her little boy Herbert. The description of seeing her child die was very close to my heart. Nevertheless, I also realized that Sister White was a person that was sensible to depression and mental anxiety of all the work that she did. Overall, I realized that Sister White was a person just like me. As a result, she got sick, she was a mother with hard times like any other mother, she missed her husband like any other woman would, she had temptation like any other person, she was a well known speaker like I can be, but she had a special gift that only God chose her and she excepted which was the gift of prophesying in which I do not have. Nevertheless, I also realize as God gave Sister White the gift of prophesying He has given me some other gifts that I should follow the example that Sister White gave me of being dedicated and committed to do God’s work. In summary, I realize that Sister White is not a God or any where close to Him but is a servant that dedicated her life in the hand of the Master. As a result, I realize that if I let God guide my pathways, the same ways that Sister White let Him guide her pathways, I to can be known as a person that reflected the character of God also in my life.
Reflection Paper Week 3 Through out this week I have been able to understand how the people has misunderstood Sister White’s writing by just taking quotation and not really looking at the situation that Sister White was writing what she did. In addition, as a child I was almost instructed that everything that Sister White had to say was inspired and had to be obeyed as if it was like a law from God. On the other hand, within the reading and also in the teaching of this week I was introduced to the truth that not everything that Sister White wrote is inspired, but everything that she wrote should be consider and respected. In being an Adventist since birth I still remember my father using the Bible as a sword to kill a person when he/she is doing wrong things and many times using it out of content. I really appreciated the illustration of the text without a context is a pretext.
In reality, even growing up in the Adventist Church, in which is known as one of the religions that study in depth the scriptures, I never was taught to study the scriptures in this context. As a result, we need to take each text and studying the meaning of this by pealing it as an onion. Nevertheless, in Sister Whites writing we have to do the same. In reading her writings we have to see the text but not just see this on the surface but study the history of the text and continue to test the writing to see if the text is first Christ centered, biblical, and relevant to the day that we live. As a result, when reading the Scriptures and also Sister Whites writings it is vital to understand that everything in the text is not by the letter but by its context. Nevertheless, even Sister White herself criticized people in using her writing and just using part of her writing for their benefit. On the other hand, the other aspect that really interested me in the reading was that Sister White sometimes did not remember her dreams until the proper time to be used. In reading this information with the problem that Sister White already have, with the people incorrectly understanding her message, I believe that God did not permit Sister White to remember her dream until the proper use is needed to conserver a little bit of her writings. In addition, many of her vision were given to her precisely at the time needed for the enlightenment and growth of the Adventist Movement. Nevertheless, even though Sister White knew that she was a Prophet of God she did not wanted to be named the Prophet but better the messenger of the Lord. I really enjoyed in learning that Sister White was much more interested in directing the people to see Jesus than having the name of a Prophet. As I see even today in which people are more interested in the titles of the degree after or before the name instead of the love of the souls that God has commended for them. The humbleness of Sister White really has turned my perspective of her. Nevertheless, as a Prophet or what she liked to be known as a messenger of the Lord, she chose not to be on the front line in the building of the churches main doctrine as her husband James White, Bates and others that she considered much more of a theologian than her. On the other hand, this does not underestimate the great role of a guide in maintaining in the right path with the direct communication of God by her dreams and visions. Personally I found in reading how humble and at the same time powerful in accepting the challenge of being the messenger of the Lord, really attracted me to respect her more as a Prophetess.
Reflection Paper Week 4 In reflecting back on what I have read and heard within this week what really impressed me the most was the issues that Sister White was facing in institutionalizing of the Adventist Organizations. In addition, Sister White foresaw the work that the health principles and the spiritual principle could do when they work together to bring spiritual and physical healing to the people. These are two major issues still within the Adventist communities. Interestingly, I have had some bad experience with the Adventist Healthcare System in which with this reading has given me the impression that what happen to Kellogg could be happening right now. Unfortunately this week I was not able to attend two classes because of health issues. As a result, I will be demonstrating a little more of the reflection of my reading than the class discussions because of the lack of information I was not able to have because of my absence. Nevertheless, the two days that I was able to be there I really enjoyed the lectures of how God is human and divine at the same time. In thinking of the overall thought of Sister White’s liking of the Adventist becoming an institution was that she was against it. In fact, she believed that the pastors were not made to be over churches and become care-givers of the church. Sister White was very convinced that when pastor would take the role of care-giver instead of missionaries that the churches would get sick and eventually die. On the other hand, within class I was able to further understand that God’s wants to reform us not to produce a new church but the hardheadedness of us does not allow God to reform the church so he has to create a new one. I ask myself would the Adventist church be the chosen church or would our hardhead ness force God to create a church that would follow His ideas and follow it thru? On the other hand, I also believe that God is a orderly God that looks out for His people. Nevertheless, in the times that the church became an organization I just think that the organization formed use instead of the movement forming the organization. What made the Adventist movement special was the different strategies of mission minded and not only church minded and when we became an organization I think that the mission minded started to slip away. As a result, that is why Sister White was so opposed in institutionalizing with this mind set. Nevertheless, the health principles that Sister White and Kellogg brought to the organization were vital to distinguish ourselves from many other organization and denominations. On the other hand, Sister White was very concern that this new light would be used to glorify God not man. Nevertheless, that is why Kellogg’s idea of separating the health principle from the spiritual principle where not welcomed by Sister White. On the other hand, I ask myself are we as an organization really sticking to the counsel of Sister White in the health principle of the organization of healthcare system. In other words, is our healthcare system really reflecting the character of God or is it another venue of income for the Adventist Organization. I believe that Sister White always envision the health principle as a tool to bring other to the healing of their physical and spiritual problem and bring them closer to God. Nevertheless, I have seen in Florida Hospital people that are Adventist working on Sabbath as people that are non-Adventist having Sabbath off and when the Adventist ask to have the Sabbath off it is denied. Now how can that help this brethrens spiritual life? In addition, we have chaplains that are non-Adventist teaching our Adventist chaplain in how to minister to the patients in our own healthcare system that was brought to light by our Prophet. Figure that one out? Now on the other hand, just last month I was in Peru in a missionary trip and I had to take my son into the Adventist clinic and their mind set was totally different. Their mind set is to help people in a missionary way. I met a pastor that after he had studied he asked the clinic what was the most need in the clinic and they told him that they needed an anesthesiologist and he went back to school and became an anesthesiologist. Now everyday when he works as a doctor he also helps the spiritual need as a pastor. On the other hand, the chaplain there are ordained and expected to baptize people for the Lord. I believe the Sister White was so defensive on the institutionalization because she knew that the day we focus in organization rather than mission we would loose our identity.
I like to discuss at least three points that were processed in my mind this past first week. First thing, the test of a prophet. The second topic will be on a question that was asked by one of my ex-church members. The last topic will be what we discussed this past Wednesday regarding the message or purpose of the remnant. I had to take this class for my undergrad and even though a lot is being repeated, I am still enjoying the class. My undergrad professor that taught this class discussed also the tests of a genuine prophet. However he added another test, which made it to five tests in total. On the other hand I don’t think it is necessary. The fifth test that he placed was found in Deuteronomy 18:8-14. Basically it describes that a servant of the Lord should have nothing to do with an occult. I can understand what he was saying, because sometimes prophets, like Abraham, Moses, and Elijah portrayed supernatural powers. I think this fifth test goes hand in hand with the two tests already stated in the book and in this class: Agreement with the Bible and the Orchard (fruit) Test. It is the Bible that gives us principles and rules of what we can do and not do. This passage in Deuteronomy is one of the not to do’s. There is also a question that a church member had asked me last year that came to me again during last week. He asked me about how Ellen White became to be a prophet. Before God came to her, we are told that God gave visions to two other men. One of them, Hazen Foss, and he basically rejected God’s call. What disturbed him was that there has never been a prophet that has rejected God’s call, even if the prophet wanted to, God had always made them do what he wanted them to do. I told him that it did not bother me that God did not force or do something out of the ordinary to change Mr. Foss’ mind. I believe Mr. Foss had all the knowledge he needed to know that it was God that was talking to him. If he rejected it, he knew that God was a God of choice. He is not going to force anyone. If they choose to reject Him and His message, be prepared for the consequences. What do you think about this? Now I would like to discuss what was shared in class on Wednesday; the important roles of the remnant church. We know we have a message to proclaim and that message is the three angel’s message. But what I found out in my ministry, we as a church can be very proud, egoistic with our calling. It reminds me of the disciples, some were with Jesus because they wanted to be part of the so called worldly kingdom that they thought Jesus was going to establish here on earth. This type of attitude and misinterpretation can be dangerous. I constantly have to remind members that we are here to bring people to the feet of Jesus. Many want to bring people to the Sabbath truth, and I remind them that we need to introduce them to the Lord of the Sabbath. One key text that I use is Matthew 25:14, where it says that once the gospel is preached to the whole world, then Jesus will come for the second time. Now, it does not say, once the Sabbath is preached to the world Jesus will come. It is the gospel, and Paul defines it in 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4. He says that the gospel that saves is Jesus dying and resurrecting, the sacrifice that saves us from our sins. Once the gospel has been on the forefront, then comes the time when our obedience will be put to the test. This is where the remnant will have to step up like never before and proclaim present truth (3rd angel’s message) like never before.
I was noticing in the book that Ellen White wrote and left behind about 100,000 pages of published and unpublished materials. The book says she is thought to be “the third most translated author in the history of literature, its most translated woman writer, and the most translated American author of either text. When I ponder on this, I see a miracle of God. Ellen White and the messages that He used through her were so important for Him to give to us, but also important for us to receive. For instance, Steps to Christ has been translated in 140 languages. I see here that God is searching for lost souls. Sadly, we have an enemy that is also trying to spread out evil. Satan has a “messenger” today and her name is J.K. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter books. I don’t know if it is true but I heard that she passed a few “records” of what Ellen White use to hold. Not that the record is important but this shows me that Satan is desperate and knows that he has very little time left. Millions of children are reading her books. I am sad that Satan is using children to brainwash into darkness and stray them away from the True Light. This tells me that our very near future does not look good and I don’t think I need to explain why.
In class and in the book (Sec. 3, ch.) 14 we discussed that at times Ellen White would publicly verbally discipline people. I found this very interesting and also troubling. Troubling because there are many today that prophesy to be prophets and this is one of the practices they do. In Mexico and in other Latin countries, I hear of people who do this. This I believe comes from the devil as the textbook mentions. Yes, again like the book says, I do believe there are moments where one needs to be publicly exposed, but that is usually when it’s the last straw where a person is about to commit the unpardonable sin. I believe however that one needs to go first to the offender of the law one to one privately, and tell them directly. Ellen White did do this. In Ellen White times, sin was confessed openly, not to embarrass but to help one another with the heaven burden. It is sad that today we as children of God,, and as sisters/ brothers in Christ no longer cannot share one another’s burdens and more specifically our sins. They use to be accountable to one another. Sin was to be ceased in one’s life and the way to do it was to confess to one another so that your brothers and sisters could pray for you and keep you accountable. I like that. God call us to carry one another’s burdens. It is Satan’s work of finding ways of keeping our struggles to ourselves.
Friday’s class was interesting. We discussed Ellen White and Galatians, moreover the ceremonial and moral law. The topic stirred me up when Professor Hanna shared that the ceremonial law was not abolished. But I started to understand where he was coming when he took more time to explain the spiritual aspect of the ceremonial law. We still celebrate certain in aspects the ceremonial rituals, for instance the Lord’s Supper. During class I read this quote from the web: When type met antitype in the death of Christ, the sacrificial offering ceased. The ceremonial law was done away. But by the crucifixion the law of Ten Commandments was established. The gospel has not abrogated the law, nor detracted one tittle from its claims. It still demands holiness in every part. It is the echo of God's own voice, giving to every soul the invitation, Come up higher. Be holy, holier still.-- Review and Herald, June 26, 1900. Notice she said this after 1888. Here she says the ceremonial was abolished and the Ten Commandments was established. But as I pondered more on this concept, the main point here is the antitype being met by the Type. The Type abolished the physical ceremonial law, but not the spiritual, as I understand. So yes, it is important that we are careful how we use how the ceremonial law was abolished. In certain aspects it was done away with and in other ways, it still continues. I hope to continue with this topic this coming week.
The life and ministry of E.G. WHITE Reflection Report 1
- The discovery of a woman and God's messenger named E.G.White
I believe that through the human religious history, there was always a person who demonstrated God’s will whatever the situations and costs were. As Moses had to see God’s glory when it’s almost passed by, we might feel the legacy of a historical being after he’s passed away.
Taking lectures and reading the textbook, I came to encounter so many questions that I haven’t ever thought of especifically before I take this class in the seminary; who is E.G. White?, what did she do?, why did she have to live such life?, and what meaning does her existence have to SDA and to myself? etc.
Before I take this class and read the textbook, E.G.White was simply a woman who prophesied God’s will toward human beings to me. She didn’t come to me as a person who knows human difficulties or discouragement. She reminded me of almost a person with a divine nature and a perfect prophetess with an image of holiness being away from the human circumstances. I know it’s because of my insufficiency of knowledge about her. But I could realize how much the existence of E.G. White could be misunderstood to non-SDA members when even a SDA like me has this kind of shallow and misleading concept about her as a person, her life and her ministry. So I came to realization that I, as an SDA, need to know and clarify the significance and meaning of her life and ministry because she is not just the messenger of the Lord who carried God’s will to human, but also a wonderful model who lived the Words despite of such a lot of tasks for God to every Christians who have been living the life in the time of turmoil like the time that she had lived.
I’m so happy because that I could break down the walls that I set up about the concept of Christianity through this lecture. I could learn and certify that the very basic and the most important concept such as Christ’s love and the way of spreading it don’t need to be limited by the institutional doctrine. God's love is far beyond the human understanding. God is so merciful and caring that He sent a messenger who lived her life making the best out of her heavenly mission for His people like wandering sheep and wanted to show how to live a Christian life in full freedom.
I believe that there still can be a lot of thought-provoking issues about E.G.White's life and ministry but I can be sure that God is still using her as His tool for this time of confusion for the people who try to find the truth which is Christ, who died on Calvary through her inspired writings and the record of her life.
The life and ministry of E.G.White Reflection paper 2
-The rediscovery of truth through God’s messenger
I’ve always wondered that why E.G.White’s messages were needed when we believe that the Bible is the only true guide in all matters of faith and practice? Reading the section 3 of the textbook, I could find the reason for my question. It is not for a new rule of faith, but for the “comport” of His people, and to “correct” those who err from Bible truth. It is such a great comfort that her messages were given for comfort.
After 15 years later since my baptism, I know and believe that her messages could help and save a lot of SDAs and non-Christians from the misunderstanding about the gospel if they had studied the Bible with reading E.G.White’s writings together. I understand some crucial points out of the lessons which E.G.White wanted to share with the Christians through her writings from the bottom of my heart.
I believe that E.G.White’s self-awareness as a messenger is very important so we could fully accept her as God’s messenger. The author of the textbook, Douglass, indicates E.G.White as a listening messenger under the title of Section III. He describes that she understood herself to be a “frail instrument. . . a channel for the communication of light” and she claimed to be simply a messenger of God, not a prophet or a leader. And He refers to E.G.White’s thinking about of her own writings, which she never claimed that her writings were to supersede the Bible. She firmly believed that God was using her as His last-day messenger, she saw herself as having two roles:To the general public, an evangel of appeal and warning, and to the Adventists, a counselor-teacher. I find the balance and harmony which are the characteristics of heavenly truth in E.G.White’s teachings and her character which are demonstrated in her life.
These days E.G.White started to come to me as my role model beyond the difference of era and culture. Definitely, she must have been a very strong person to bear such heavy task from God. But reading the textbook, I could realize that she was a frail woman who felt overwhelmed with heavenly calling. The author writes that when she had to deliver reproof, she would shrink from her prophetic duties and recalled that she have felt for years that if she could have her own choice and please God as well, she would rather die than have a vision. How heavy the heavenly task which was given to her would have been!
I believe truth is extremely simple and shown so clearly to us. But the trip to get to the truth is so hard and rugged in this world of deception and confusion. It will be so hard for us alone to try to find the truth. We need gracious help so we can find and keep the truth as it is and press on to our heavenly home with it. So our Gracious Abba Father sent this woman of truth for our own sake.
For me, E.G.White’s life and the teachings in her writings means a kind and tender counselor which is an invisible spiritual mentor to me. I want to give my warmest and greatest appreciation to my Savior, God for introducing me this wonderful role model as a Christian woman, wife, mother, neighbor and God’s servant.
God used E.G.White as a great tool of giving the life-saving messages for the people of this last time through realistic and direct contacts with her.
The life and ministry of E.G.White Reflection paper 3
-The discovery of the true picture of God through a devoted servant
“The goal of redemption is not forgiveness but restoration; the purpose of the gospel is to restore all that was harmed by sin, to bring men and women back to their original state, step by step.”
The more I read the textbook, the more I came to find and realize the life and the thoughts of one woman who had lived and was used greatly and totally by God for dying souls without knowing God, and for His Kingdom. And I’m surprised and absorbed with the truth, knowledge and wisdom found in the mine of the heavenly treasures that she opened for all mankind.
This section of this book is mainly dealing with E.G.White’s thoughts and principles about health and education based on the great controversy theme. The Great Controversy Theme is the conceptual key in understanding humanity’s greatest questions and in revealing the purpose of God’s strategy of saving mankind. E.G.White fully understood God’s intention toward humans. So she could unfold the mysterious truth about health and education inspired by God and also clarify the definitions of major doctrines.
She suggested that limited ideas of the character and purpose of God can lead to limited ideas of the atonement. If we don’t understand the truth involved in the Great Controversy, we can have a distorted picture of God. Because she understood the Great Controversy Theme, she could clearly teach on the problems of suffering.
If we have an incorrect picture of God, our early life can be ruined and we will lose the eternal life forever. If we fail to have a right image of God, We might think of Him as a God of suffering and punishment. We would live a life of slavery in the misconception of God when our life can be the one full of joy of serving Him. How crucial it is to know God as a God as He is for salvation!
There are the answers for everybody who asks about the reasons of the sufferings in life. E.G.White said:The trials of life are God’s workmen, to remove the impurities and roughness from our character....The Lord will work for all who put their trust in Him. Precious victories will be gained by the faithful. Precious lessons will be learned. Precious experiences will be realized. “The trials of life” that could destroy all hope are turned around by God, if He is asked, and made His “workmen” for each person’s spiritual growth. And E.G. White put suffering for truth’s sake in its proper perspective:”And of all the gifts that Heaven can bestow upon men, fellowship with Christ in His suffering is the most weighty trust and the highest honor.”
We’re such fragile beings who can survive with God’s powerful grace every moment. But we’re also the beings who can have fellowship with Christ in His suffering with His saving grace.
We can reach the highest possible degree of excellence which is the degree of carrying Jesus’ Cross for serving other people through our totally surrendered life in Christ. Through such life, we could demonstrate God’s character which are benevolence and love fully to all the universe.
‘Who is God to me?’ and ‘What am I to God?’-These questions with countless answers in the various scenes of our life will lead each one of us to a life-time and eternal journey with God.
Response to Bae, jeong-a The life and ministry of E.G.White Reflection paper 3
I liked the way she talked to God in the last sentance. I would also like to say to God that I want a clear heart from Him.
I think she picked up some good quotes from E.White. Yes, I wonder too that why do we have to suffer when we believe in the Lord. But I learned that trials are God's tool to make us better person. But I wonder if there is any other reasons why He puts us in test?
I learned that the gospel is to restore us to our original state, where we did not have any sin. As I read the Bible more and more, I would like to see clearer picutre of God.
Response to toru hasegawa: How to present/defend the authenticity of E.G. White Reflection on the second week lecture
I was surprised to read that even non-Adventists Christians find blessings in the writings of E.White.
I liked the way he placed himself in the non-Adventist perspective as well, so that it would be easier for Adventists to understand their difficultness to accept E.White as a prophet.
Yes, even some Adventist do not pay careful attention to the writings of E.White. But as people read her book for themselves, I believe that they would realize she was infact a prophet.
As he mentioned, even the Bible writers might have used other sources to clearfy what he was inspired to write. Therefore, the fact that E.White used other sources would not make any issues.
103 comments:
Class Overview, EGW and the Title “Prophet”
I must say that so far I am delighted with both the format of the class and the content. I was not sure what to expect at first, but the course is structured well and I enjoy the lectures and discussions. I appreciate the efforts of the teacher to include all students in the discussions by reading their name and specifically asking for their input. The only criticism I have of this is that it tends to get us off track at times. I am just as guilty of this as anybody, and my naturally inquisitive mind often draws the topics off on unrelated tangents. So, I would say that overall it is excellent, but just a little more focus would also help.
The discussion regarding the 4 revelations was really helpful. It was relevant, instructive, and well thought out. The nature of the church representing the Word was a new concept to me. I love how much scripture was used to illustrate these points as well. I hope we continue to refer to the Bible on a constant basis as well. If we are to study “the Spirit of Prophecy” in its many forms, we must have a foundation in the scriptures. That doesn’t just mean a surface knowledge of certain texts, but a consistent and holistic understanding of the appropriate messages contained in those texts. This is a big challenge to be sure, but it would be sloppy of us to expect anything less.
Herbert Douglass has offered a comprehensive approach to the understanding to the life and ministry of Ellen G. White. While much of the information in this first section is found elsewhere in numerous other books published by SDA’s, it is nice to have it contained in this one volume. I would argue, however, that his main audience is Adventists, as the language and culture that he uses appears to appeal to those who have some basic understandings of our faith. Perhaps this was his intent to begin with…I don’t know.
In particular I found his chapter (his introductory chapter) on the writings of EGW to be quite instructive, but widely misunderstood by the bulk of modern Adventists that I know. Not only that, but I would say that many of my Adventist’s associates would have a hard time (if not an impossible time) accepting some of his conclusions. This would include his discussions regarding editors, sources, revisions, and “mistakes” that EGW made. I am concerned about this, but hope and pray that with time, education and open, teachable spirits, this “gap” between the truth and the mysticism can be overcome.
On a personal note I would like to share that I have found it very appropriate how EGW shied away from the title of “prophet(ess).” As an illustration: My mother (who is not an Adventist, but is a Pentecostal Christian) is currently visiting us. Of course she asked about my classes and I was a little…shall we say, apprehensive to mention I was taking a Master’s level course on the life of EGW. In addition to this, she has seen me reading the book, which has a picture of EGW and the title “Messenger of the Lord” on the cover. Because of her background it is hard for her to understand how our church can accept EGW as a prophetess, but I prefer to speak of her as a charismatic leader who guided, informed and helped organize our church. I also have no problem sharing that I believe God used her in a special way, etc. but I am loathed to call her a “prophetess” do to the connotations that many evangelicals have with this term. I could say more, but the point is this, I understand how these things can sometimes be complicated. I am glad to be learning more about this though.
Messenger of the Lord and the Remnant
Week two was another excellent week in this class. We talked about many things, most of them relevant. One of the things we focused on was the title that Ellen White choose for herself; “Messenger of the Lord.” We looked at how this title was used in scripture and I was especially interested in how it was used in Revelation. In Revelation 19 and 22, John was so overcome with the glory/wisdom/power etc., of the angel (the messenger) that he wanted to worship him. But the angel rebuked John. He told him to worship God only, for he was just a messenger. I can just see Ellen White reading these two passages and choosing this title for herself, knowing that people will be tempted to worship her instead of God. I think that this is exactly what has happened with some Adventists. It was happening in her day as well.
I wish this message could be communicated to the lay people in all of our churches. I know that we students can do this one by one, but it seems a more global and determined approach may be possible. Perhaps this has been tried before. I know there are many good books on EGW, but they don’t seem to have the impact needed regarding this issue. Or, they skirt around the issue and don’t come right out and say what needs to be said, “She was just a fallible human messenger!” Of course she was a prophet(ess). Yes, she was used by God. But lest we are tempted to promote her higher than God, or scripture, we must be certain to use her counsels in the very manner she counseled us to use them.
I think another challenge, as far the global church, may be fear. I think the church has already suffered many divisions and discords’ concerning many issues (some important, many extraneous). The church may fear that if it “pressed” the matter of the appropriate understanding of EGW, it may spark more strife and division. (I say “pressed” because the church has already made its stance on EGW clear; it just appears that many have missed the message).
Another topic we discussed was the biblical nature of the “remnant” and how Israel (and others) fit into that schema. I appreciated the perspective offered. In such a discussion it is inevitable that someone will wonder, “Are we the final remnant?” This is not an easy question to answer. One the one hand scripture does not seem to indicate that there will be multiple phases of “remnants” in the last days. If we are in the last days, then there is only one remnant which will endure until the Second Coming (endure by faith, not by presumption). So we are tempted to answer, “Yes, we are the final remnant.” One the other hand, Israel was also given assurances that they would be the remnant that would usher in God’s kingdom. God promised to be with them “forever.” Yet, because of pride and sin, they abandoned the Lord and God had to open up a new chapter in order to fulfill his plan. The New Testament is a witness to this. Yes, the OT also prophesied that this would happen, but Israel missed those prophecies. So, it is possible then, that Israel today (the church) should it abandon God, as our predecessors did, that God may again begin a new chapter. Thus it is possible that scripture may even reveal such a case, but we are unable to see it. Many possibilities but at the very minimum it should keep us humble. We should never presume upon the Lord’s mercy. He is always able to fulfill his plan with or without us. Hopefully, the majority of us will decide to join Him.
Application Of Theology More Important Than Theology Itself
This week continued our evaluation of Ellen White, but tended to focus more on her understanding of certain theological issues, rather than her specific actions or biography. This is fine, as long as we continue to tie in how she contributed to our understanding of scripture today, and how we are to apply it tomorrow.
A full day was spent in discussing the nature and role of the law, specifically the ceremonial law in relation to the cross and contemporary Christian understanding. The text of focus is found in Colossians where Paul refers to something being “nailed to the cross” (Col. 2:14). Of interest to us were the questions: 1) What exactly was Paul referring to, 2) In what way does this theology impact our understanding of the law and, 3) How do we make an application of this teaching today.
I found myself puzzled during much of this debate as I had trouble understanding the specific problem we were facing. In other words, whether one understands the law (in any form) was nailed to the cross (or abolished for that matter) is not as much at issue, as is what implications people draw from such conclusions. The specific nature of the text may be ambiguous or difficult to understand and by conjecture we can argue for one interpretation or another, but the beauty of scripture is the how the whole message works together so that harder passages are clarified by clearer.
What I mean is this; if a person believes that the moral law was nailed to the cross (or abolished), therefore we may now consciously break the law; I would say they are in error. At the same time if a person believes Paul was not referring to the moral law (or that it was not abolished), therefore concludes that the law saves us, I would again say they are in error. Does that make sense? I more interested in the application of ones theology than the theology itself (but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about theology or have opinions about theology or believe that theology is irrelevant).
So, regarding the specific reference in Colossians, I would say that for now, I am more inclined to believe that Paul had the ceremonial law in mind when he referred to the “certificate of debt” being “nailed to the cross.” However, I don’t think even Paul would argue against including the moral law in the statement, in the context in which we discussed. I would even go so far to say that Paul could be specifically referring to the moral law in the previous verse when he remarked that God has, “forgiven us all our transgressions” since sin is a transgression of the moral law. But this would be as subtle reference. The rest of the chapter seems to be ceremonial in language. Paul talks about circumcision, festivals, shadows or symbols, new moon and Sabbath, and food and drink. All of these can be associated with the ceremonial aspect of the law. Again, they are not completely opposed to the principles contained in the moral law, but the language appears to be ceremonial more than moral. Certainly Paul could have used more specific language if he had wanted to refer to the moral law along with the ceremonial.
Yet, I am not opposed to, or closed to other interpretations, as long as they do not violate the clear teachings of scripture. I also thought you may be interested to hear how JB Phillips translated Colossians 2:14, back in 1958 (not too far removed from the SDA commentary). He would clearly support your analysis more than mine.
“Christ has utterly wiped out the damning evidence of broken laws and commandments which always hung over our heads, and has completely annulled it by nailing it over his own head on the cross” (emphasis mine). Very interesting language!
Kendrick Norman Cid July 15, 2007
The Life and Ministry of EGW Professor: Martin Hanna
MY PERSONAL REFLECTIONS FOR WEEK 1
The Testimony of Jesus Christ and The Spirit of Prophecy
The phrase "testimony of Jesus" is first found in Rev. 1:1-3, then 1:9, 12:17, and 19:10. When read in the context of the chain of revelation expressed in Rev 1:1-3, we realize that Revelation gets passed on from God to Jesus (the revelation for Jesus Christ), then from Jesus through his angel to John (the testimony of Jesus), and then from John (John records what he received as “the words of this prophecy) it goes to the people.
The testimony is “what John saw” (Rev. 1:2). In Rev 1:1-3 at least, then, the phrase "testimony of Jesus" refers to the visionary experience of John on Patmos by which the essential content of the book of Revelation came to him. One could say that the testimony of Jesus is John's way of expressing the prophetic gift that came to him.
The testimony of Jesus represents a spiritual gift, the gift of prophecy, that was restored to the church in the ministry of John, not just the product of that gift, the book itself. In Rev 19:10 the testimony of Jesus is defined as "the spirit of the prophecy.” The testimony of Jesus means “the spirit of prophecy,” the spirit that actuates the gift of prophecy. Comparison of 19:10 with 22:8-9 underlines the association of "testimony of Jesus" with the NT concept of the prophetic gift. I believe that the gift of prophecy has been restored to the church through the prophetic ministry of Ellen G. White. Therefore, the prophetic ministry of Ellen White is the testimony of Jesus in these last days.
Four Revelations
There are four revelations of God: Christ, Scripture, Church, and the world. A true understanding of these revelations, however, requires the influence of the Holy Spirit. According to Ellen White, the Holy Spirit is the bringer of all gifts.
There is one blessing that all may have who seek for it in the right way. It is the
Holy Spirit of God, and this is a blessing that brings all other blessings in its train.
If we will come to God as little children, asking for His grace and power and salvation,
not for our own uplifting, but that we may bring blessing to those around us, our
petitions will not be denied. Then let us study the Word of God that we may know
how to take hold of His promises and claim them as our own.
First, Jesus Christ was conceived (Luke 1:35), filled, and led by the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the supreme revelation (incarnation) of God: His life, death, resurrection and current ministry in heaven. Second, the inspired writings of Scripture were written as the Holy Spirit moved in people’s hearts (1 Peter 1:19-21). The Scriptures are the only and final standard of faith and practice for they are God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16). “I recommend this book the Word of God,” White said, “as the rule of your faith and practice.” The Bible is the only “standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms.” Third, the church is a letter from Christ sent to the world, “written not with ink bit with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Cor. 2:3). Ellen G. White wrote:
The Lord of heaven and earth is the strength of his people. He is the light and life
of Every truly converted soul. His Spirit, working with its quickening power, will
be recognized by its inspiration, and its abiding influence. Christ our Lord identifies
himself with the members of his church. It is this union of the human and the
divine that convicts the world. Through the blessed union of those who are
sanctified body, soul, and spirit, the truth is magnified.
The saints in the church of Christ, every disciple, “is heaven’s appointed channel for the revelation of God to men. Angels of glory wait to communicate through you heaven’s light and power to souls that are ready to perish.” White’s comments seem to line up with Revelation 1:1-3:
He is the source of all wisdom; for He placed Himself directly on a level with the
eternal God. In His humanity the glory of heavenly illumination fell directly upon
Him, and from Him to the world, to be reflected back by all who receive and believe
in Him, mingled with His perfection of character and the luster of His own character.
Lastly, the cosmos, the world, nature was created by God. “He spoke and it came to be” (Ps. 33:9). “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork” (Ps. 119:1). It is interesting that scientists who have studied the aurora borealis have stated that the northern lights produces sound because where there is light there is sound.
The Test of a Prophet
Here’s a brief list of the tests of a prophet, four of which are mentioned in class: (1) Does what the prophet predict come to pass? Jeremiah told his contemporaries to use the benchmark of fulfilled predictions as one of the tests of a genuine prophet: “As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent” (Jer. 28:9; Deut 18:22). (2) Do the prophets teaching agree with the Bible? Isaiah noted that genuine prophets will be tested by their faithfulness to previously written revelations: “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isa. 8:20). The inspired Bible is the final standard of any claim to inspiration. (3) Does the prophet practice what he/she preaches? Jesus said that “every good tree bears good fruit” (Mt. 7:17). Is it evident that God is at work in the prophet’s life? Does the gospel mission prosper under his/her guidance? (4) Does the prophet deny the divine-human nature of Jesus Christ? In other words, does the prophet teach the entire truth about the purpose of why Christ came in the flesh? (5) Do the prophet’s physical manifestations correspond to those the biblical prophets experienced? Daniel, for example, experienced a loss of strength but then he was strengthened by an angel, stopped breathing, ability to hear words and to move around while experiencing a sleep-like loss of consciousness. (6) Are the prophet’s massage timely and relevant?
Kendrick Cid
July 15, 2007
MY PERSONAL REFLECTIONS FOR WEEK 1
The Testimony of Jesus Christ and The Spirit of Prophecy
The Spirit of prophecy, generally speaking, is God's work through the Holy Spirit who moved in people's hearts and pens to communicate His messages to human beings throughout history.
Jon Paulien writes:
The phrase "testimony of Jesus" is first found in Rev. 1:1-3, then 1:9, 12:17, and 19:10. When read in the context of the chain of revelation expressed in Rev 1:1-3, we realize that Revelation gets passed on from God to Jesus (the revelation for Jesus Christ), then from Jesus through his angel to John (the testimony of Jesus), and then from John (John records what he received as “the words of this prophecy) it goes to the people.
The testimony is “what John saw” (Rev. 1:2). In Rev 1:1-3 at least, then, the phrase "testimony of Jesus" refers to the visionary experience of John on Patmos by which the essential content of the book of Revelation came to him. One could say that the testimony of Jesus is John's way of expressing the prophetic gift that came to him. The testimony of Jesus represents a spiritual gift, the gift of prophecy, that was restored to the church in the ministry of John, not just the product of that gift, the book itself. In Rev 19:10 the testimony of Jesus is defined as "the spirit of the prophecy.” The testimony of Jesus means “the spirit of prophecy,” the spirit that actuates the gift of prophecy. Comparison of 19:10 with 22:8-9 underlines the association of "testimony of Jesus" with the NT concept of the prophetic gift.
I believe that the gift of prophecy has been restored to the church through the prophetic ministry of Ellen G. White. Therefore, the prophetic ministry of Ellen White is the testimony of Jesus in these last days.
Four Revelations
There are four revelations of God: Christ, Scripture, Church, and the world. A true nderstanding of these revelations, however, requires the influence of the Holy Spirit. According to Ellen White, the Holy Spirit is the bringer of all gifts.
There is one blessing that all may have who seek for it in the right way. It is the Holy Spirit of God, and this is a blessing that brings all other blessings in its train.
If we will come to God as little children, asking for His grace and power and salvation, not for our own uplifting, but that we may bring blessing to those around us, our petitions will not be denied. Then let us study the Word of God that we may know how to take hold of His promises and claim them as our own. First, Jesus Christ was conceived (Luke 1:35), filled, and led by the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the supreme revelation (incarnation) of God: His life, death, resurrection and current ministry in heaven. Second, the inspired writings of Scripture were written as the Holy Spirit moved in people’s hearts (1 Peter 1:19-21). The Scriptures are the only and final standard of faith and practice for they are God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16). “I recommend this book the Word of God,” White said, “as the rule of your faith and practice.” The Bible is the only “standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms.” Third, the church is a letter from Christ sent to the world, “written not with ink bit with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Cor. 2:3). Ellen G. White wrote:
The Lord of heaven and earth is the strength of his people. He is the light and life
of Every truly converted soul. His Spirit, working with its quickening power, will be recognized by its inspiration, and its abiding influence. Christ our Lord identifies himself with the members of his church. It is this union of the human and the divine that convicts the world. Through the blessed union of those who are sanctified body, soul, and spirit, the truth is magnified.
The saints in the church of Christ, every disciple, “is heaven’s appointed channel for the revelation of God to men. Angels of glory wait to communicate through you heaven’s light and power to souls that are ready to perish.” White’s comments seem to line up with Revelation 1:1-3:
He is the source of all wisdom; for He placed Himself directly on a level with the
eternal God. In His humanity the glory of heavenly illumination fell directly upon Him, and from Him to the world, to be reflected back by all who receive and believe in Him, mingled with His perfection of character and the luster of His own character.
Lastly, the cosmos, the world, nature was created by God. “He spoke and it came to be” (Ps. 33:9). “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork” (Ps. 119:1). It is interesting that scientists who have studied the aurora borealis have stated that the northern lights produces sound because where there is light there is sound.
The Test of a Prophet
Here’s a brief list of the tests of a prophet, four of which are mentioned in class: (1) Does what the prophet predict come to pass? Jeremiah told his contemporaries to use the benchmark of fulfilled predictions as one of the tests of a genuine prophet: “As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent” (Jer. 28:9; Deut 18:22). (2) Do the prophets teaching agree with the Bible? Isaiah noted that genuine prophets will be tested by their faithfulness to previously written revelations: “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isa. 8:20). The inspired Bible is the final standard of any claim to inspiration. (3) Does the prophet practice what he/she preaches? Jesus said that “every good tree bears good fruit” (Mt. 7:17). Is it evident that God is at work in the prophet’s life? Does the gospel mission prosper under his/her guidance? (4) Does the prophet deny the divine-human nature of Jesus Christ? In other words, does the prophet teach the entire truth about the purpose of why Christ came in the flesh? (5) Do the prophet’s physical manifestations correspond to those the biblical prophets experienced? Daniel, for example, experienced a loss of strength but then he was strengthened by an angel, stopped breathing, ability to hear words and to move around while experiencing a sleep-like loss of consciousness. (6) Are the prophet’s massage timely and relevant?
First Impressions and a Sense of Humor- Bryan Laue
I have really looked forward to this class since I have never had a formal class on the life and ministry of Ellen White. While I was pastoring it was this topic that our churches had the most issues with and I longed to have a deeper understanding of her role and ministry. This week has been very interesting both in the discussions in class as well as the reading. I was a lot more drawn to the reading because it talked a lot more about Ellen White, her life and ministry, than to class time. I believe the reason for this is that I already tend to have a big picture approach when looking at the spirit of prophecy and the testimony of Jesus Christ. When I hear spirit of prophecy I hear it in its broad overview of history. The spirit of prophecy has been at work for a long time and has not just now arrived on the scene. Likewise when the spirit of prophecy is equated with the Testimony of Jesus, I do not immediately equate it with the writings of Ellen White. I hear that it is those things which lead us to a clearer understanding of Jesus.
In class it was interesting to look at the four revelations and how they interrelate to each other. It is still a temptation to me after hearing the lecture to try to find some other way to illustrate how they interrelate to each other outside a list form. I still would like to have a clearer understanding of how Ellen White’s writings function at the level of illumination but are also taken at the level of inspiration. I see this as a question that will come up when I present this model to my churches.
It was very refreshing to point out the danger of people falling so much in love with Ellen White and what she has to say about the subject that they miss Jesus in the midst of all her writings. It is so sad how so many have fallen in love with the things God has designed to bring us closer to him. We must examine our hearts and minds to make sure that there is not some “truth” that we have put before our relationship with our savior and lord.
Another important point that was brought up in class was that the idea of being a remnant does not mean that we are better than anyone else. It simply means that we have a special calling and work that God has called us to do. By joining the Seventh-day Adventist Church you are not attaining salvation, but you are joining a movement of people that have dedicated their lives to making disciples and taking the gospel to the rest of the world that needs this “good news” so desperately.
There were several parts of the reading that I really enjoyed reading, especially the chapter that dealt with Ellen White’s Self-awareness as a messenger. That chapter really helped to clear up how she saw her role to the general public as well as to the Adventist church. I also enjoyed the chapter “Humor, Common Sense, and a Practical Counselor” that shared areas that is often forgotten, but key to understanding her writings. I have talked to several people that take Ellen White’s writings out of their cultural context and believe that we should take the writings in the same way that they were given. Like when she discouraged buying bikes, they feel that no one should own a bike. They miss the common sense and the sense of practicality of her writings. There were a lot of other areas that were very interesting, but these were to two chapters that really stood out for me.
There have been some very interesting discussions this last week and I am looking forward to hearing more on the life and writings of Ellen White.
Judging others and the Law- Bryan Laue
There was a lot in our reading and in our class this last week that I really enjoyed studying about. I had always heard the claim that Ellen White did not call her self a prophet and it was good to get that claim cleared up. The explanation in class that Ellen White did not promote herself as a prophet, because of the lack of understanding makes a lot of sense. I really like the title she took, “Messenger of the Lord.” Understanding the issues that Ellen White was dealing with the term prophet, makes me wonder how we should promote her in a world that knows little about the role of a prophet. I know that whatever we choose to do we need to keep her role and clear as possible. It was also really helpful to note in the Bible that the prophets back then were misunderstood and were really not appreciated until after they were gone.
Another area that I was really interested in the discussion was on the topic of the earthly and heavenly sanctuary. I agree with the argument that in order for something to be symbolic it must in some degree be literal and for something that is literal more often than not there is an element of symbolism. The issue about whether the heavenly sanctuary is literal really gets broken down the question of, “To what degree is the heavenly sanctuary literal?”
It was also interesting to look at the message of 1844 in a much broader approach than I have seen done in the past. While this is the mark of the beginning of the judgment of the time of the end, it also points out that God wants us to refocus on what he is doing in the heavenly sanctuary and what he wants to do in our lives. It also point out that God is not quick to judge us, he waits till after people have died or they have whole heartedly chosen one side or the other. God could have past judgment at anytime in the past, but God is a God of love that is not willing that any should perish but that all may come to repentance. In the broader picture there has also been other time of the ends or judgments. There was the flood, at the cross, the time of the judging of the living and you might even look at Jerusalem in 70 A.D. as a time of judgment. Judgment has not just been a thing that happened once in 1844, but God has always had times of judgment scattered throughout history. I believe in general it is really good to get the broader picture of these events and see that they are all part of something bigger and that 1844 is not an isolated event that was just sprung on God’s people.
The topic this last week that topped my list of issues that needs some more discussion and some clarification is that of the LAW including both the ceremonial law and Moral law. I agree that when the Bible talks about the Law that it sounds a lot truer to the text to say that it refers to the entirety of the Old Testament. I also see it very clearly laid out in the text Galatians 3, 4, and 5. The thing that I am wrestling with is putting it into my system of theology that I have put together in my mind and look at all the little tweaks that are going to have to be made when approaching some of our Adventist proof texts that we so often use. I am hoping that we will take some time to work through some of these challenges about what does it mean to be under the law or under grace? And what are the implications of each? Our reading in the book, really does not address too many of the issues. It just tells about the situation and if we had not looked at the text it would have been easy to just pass over the section.
This was a good week both in lecture and reading and I am looking forward to the discussions that we will be having on the rest of E.G. Whites’ life and ministr
The Sabbath and the Law- Bryan Laue
One of the ideas that really stood out this last week for me was that God uses us and institution in spite of the fact that we are imperfect and need to continue to grow. Often we think about people having issues that separate us like: race, gender, economics and other social issues, but these issues also can be found in the church because the church is filled with people. It is ok to admit that our church does have things that it is struggling with and area where there is still need for growth. God is the only one who is faultless and we can rejoice that in spite of our imperfections God is still working with us and through us to reach the world.
This last week I was glad that we were able to return to the topic of the law and the issues that surrounded 1888 and righteousness by faith. It was also good to see how the ceremonial law also fits into the picture. I really liked our discussion about how the ceremonial law was not done away with but it was fulfilled, but at the same time that brings up a whole new box of questions about how we are to relate to it. I do know that we are suppose to keep it in spirit, but then what do we do with the feast days which are also elements that point to the ministry and work of Christ? I wonder if it wouldn’t be a very interesting experience to celebrate one of the feast days once a year with your church just to take them back into the lives of the people of Israel and what they experienced during these festivals and examine what they meant the them.
In talking about the law and the Sabbath it seem to uncover a lot of the struggles with being judgmental that exist in the church. Because of the way we have related to the moral law and the ceremonial law in the past, one being done away with and the other standing over us. We seem to have made the moral law, specifically the Sabbath commandment, the center of our faith and not Jesus Christ. It has become something that separates us Adventist Christians from those other people that call themselves Christians yet do not follow the moral law of God. This attitude has built up so many boundaries between us and other Christians who really do love God and many who love God just as much as we do. For me this last week was really a wake up call to the judgmental attitude that I have had toward other Christians who do not keep the Sabbath. God has called us to love all people no matter if they believe the same as we do or not. The Bible tells us that the people of the world will know we are Christians by our love and right now I believe that we are in general falling short of that calling. That is why it is so important that we begin to preach not only the Sabbath, but also all the other doctrines not in a judgmental and condemning way, but in a loving and Christ centered manner. There is room for us to grow into the fullness of God’s end time message for us and the world.
Another thing that caught my attention this week was how when we really just took the time to study a text in its context we can learn a lot, especially when we take time to ask some good questions about the text. All it takes are a few changes in the presuppositions that we bring to the text in order to change how we use the text and relate to it in the future. This is something that we really need to dive into when dealing with texts that have commonly been use referring only to the ceremonial law, but should include the law in its entirety as it was commonly used by the New Testament writers.
I have greatly appreciated all the discussion that has taken part in the class and I can see that without Ellen White this church would be in some serious troubles and would not have made it this far and made such an influence on the world as it has today.
In the beginning…Paper 1
In looking back over the first week I had many different thoughts and emotions that come to mind. I have truly enjoyed the reading in this class and have pulled a lot of inspiration from the life of the Whites. I have always enjoyed studying the life and teaching of the Spirit of Prophecy, but I never read any book about her life like this one. The stories are truly amazing and uplifting to me. On the other hand, I have always been concerned with why the Spirit of Prophecy is viewed in such negative light among some of our other conferences. When talking to many different students about their thoughts of E. G. White, some say they don’t believe in her ministry as a prophet but that she was a good person and a founder of the church, while others say the complete opposite. I ask myself the question repeatedly: “How can the church stay connected with such differing views about the spiritual gifts in our church, and where do these thoughts about Ellen come from?”
I have really enjoyed the class and appreciate the insight into the biblical approach in proving the spiritual gift of prophecy. The four types of revelation make sense to me and I am anxious to read the entire article when it is published. I do feel that some of the questions in this class tend to veer off from the topic of E.G.W and move into more of an administrative role than the gift of prophecy but I still find what is said to be valuable information.
The reading has been exceptionally good. The book opens up the life of Ellen in a new way for me. I have never read her biography and I suspect this book has much of the same format and style as her bio. I have actually felt like she was writing to me in the book and have been inspired by the struggles and sacrifice that she went through in order to fulfill her calling to the Lord. I can’t help but think of my life and the struggles that I have gone through. When I was going through them they seemed so difficult, like there was no end in sight, but they were small in view of what the Whites had to go through. My prayer is that I have the same strength and faith in Lord, as they did when they were going through trials and difficulties.
I would like to have her same want list found on page 72 under Clear Priorities section. The one thing that I noticed is she never asked for anything worldly. She only wanted to please the Lord and to be there with Him. That is true evidence of someone with the right priorities in life. I was also impressed with how frugal the White’s were. Every bit of money they had went to help further the ministry which caused them to live extremely poor. By the sound of that chapter they could have had a life of money and wealth but chose to follow the call of the Lord over worldly wealth. That truly is awesome.
When it is all said and done, they were much like any other family that had high points and low points in their marriage. The job pulled them away from each other and their children for long periods of time; they had disputes as husband and wife, and were exhausted by the rigorist labor of the different speaking engagements they had to attend. There was much more they did but the main point is they didn’t have a problem admitting their faults and openly communicating with each other to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Ellen loved James tremendously and took care of him when he needed her help and sometimes had to give him tough love in order to get him well, but in the end they truly loved each other. Ellen made a statement that I think expressed her respect for him. She said James “was the best man to ever wear shoe leather.”
To Be or Not To Be… Paper 2
This was an interesting week for me in this class. I say this because the lecture you presented on the Sanctuary was something that I have never heard before. What I find when this happens is that I get a greater desire to read and learn more about the topics because I find myself ignorant of the issues. There are two topics that I would like to discuss in this paper. Why do we have such a problem understanding core beliefs in the Adventist church, and what should we do as a church to address them with conclusions to problematic issue?
I have struggled with the question of disunity over doctrine in the world church ever since I was placed in a leadership position in my local church. It amazes me that the church can continue to grow with so many presenting their own feelings, beliefs, and thoughts on the interpretation of the Adventist doctrine. I say this because I was involved in a small group where the leader presented his whole theology based from allegorizing his thoughts on the scriptures. It was painful because I was watching the other members of the group getting excited about what he was saying and agreeing with him on unbiblical process of interpretation. I would attempt to ask questions that I thought would trigger some further discussion from the Bible, but without success. I left there discouraged on many occasions, wishing that I could have broken through an allegorical mindset and hear what the scriptures where actually trying to reveal to us. The group finally came to a close, and as a result, a family that was attending began to water down what the scriptures have taught us and have taken out the relationship with Jesus in our doctrine. This frustrated me. The Lord wants his people to take a stand and not be tossed to and fro on every wave of doctrine. He wants our yes to be yes and our no to be no; so how is it that one feels they can wonder all over the place and avoid the main issue? In Revelation, the Bible tells us the Lord will vomit out those who are lukewarm and that He would rather us be hot or cold. It just seems to me that we are beginning to be so concerned with what our Evangelicals think of us and proving that our mission is right and true that we are leaving what our true calling has been from the beginning. We are Seventh Day Adventists. We have a strong heritage and a saving message for the world. We are supposed to be the head, not the tail, when it comes to leading people to Christ and knowledge of scriptures. Sometimes I wonder if we believe this. Many of the books that we use in Seminary are written by Catholic, or Evangelicals, but little attention is given to the powerful message of Ellen White. I don’t want to come across as a mean conservative, because I’m not, but I would like to portray a concerned Adventist. We must grasp a hold of what is true to scripture and preach it day and night not being afraid of the consequences one may face because they stood for truth. When I say this I can’t help but think of our great reformers and the adversity they went through in order to deliver the truth to the people.
On the other hand, I know how painful it is to change and that new light must be tested intensely before it is exposed to the people. It must be brought in gradually and not slammed on them from the pulpit. We, as a church of the Word of God, should always be moving forward through scripture, as it has messages for us in each stage of our lives and the movement of the church. We must be able to explore them and change if needed, but once the change is completed- make a stand. Let us not have fractions of people believing whatever they want. This stimulates an east verses west mentality and discredits all of the truths God has given to us.
Now what? What should be done to stop this entirely disruptive, “jack rabbit teaching” that is going on in our church? We must be solidified as one. There is no room for individualistic renegades to propagate messages of separation that rip the flock of the Lord apart. How do we stop this? God’s word must be given to all peoples, nations and tongues; let’s focus on this task instead of deciding on whether the Sanctuary is relevant for today. Let us not miss out on the promised latter rain the Lord has for us.
Moral Law and Ceremonial Laws…Paper 3
This week was another interesting week. I especially was intrigued with the lecture that discussed the Moral law and the ceremonial law. I have grown up understanding the ceremonial law was nailed to the cross. In fact, the specific portion of the law that was nailed to the cross was the sacrificial system, because Jesus is the lamb who took away the sins of the world. I would like to go over my thinking and see what your thoughts are. I believe we may be saying the same thing but coming at it from two different sides.
The ceremonial law was written with the pen of Moses and included everything from health laws to civil laws, as well as, the sacrificial requirements that were ordinates which covered the how to perform the sacrifices and what animals would be used for each sacrifice. I understand that each of these sacrificial ordinates all gave examples of the mission of Christ, His work of salvation in their lives, and because Jesus, who is the Messiah, was to be slain like a lamb on the cross. This sets the example that all are saved by the blood of Jesus.
In handling the difficult bible texts like Col. 2:14 or Rom. 14 It has been my experience that these verses were accepted by those I gave bible studies to relatively easy. I believe that you mentioned in class that the main principle of Rom 14 is for others not to judge anyone for anything they do or eat, and I completely agree with that, but I think the text points out some other interest points as well. It appears that the text is talking about the ceremonial feast days, and health principles that are found in the ordinances that Moses wrote in the Book of the Law. It appears that the context of the scriptures is based from the ceremonial law. I believe this demonstrates to the readers that since the ceremonial law was fulfilled and nailed on the cross it was not a concern anymore due to the fact that the Jews lost the entire meaning of what the sacrificial law was intended to teach. In regards to Col 2: 13-17, judging seems to be at the core of the text as well, but the context again follows suit with the ceremonial laws that where written in the book by Moses hand. The text clarifies it even more by the statement in verse 13 “…wiped out the laws that was against us”. This is a verse of distinction that contrasts the characteristics of a law or a portion of the law that has been completed with the sacrifice of Jesus. Deut.31:24-26 tells us that when Moses finished writing the book of the law he told the priests to take the book and place it beside the Ark of the Covenant that it might be a witness against you. The words “against you…” that are found in Col. 2:13-17 seem to be talking about the same context of scripture. The law then in question is the sacrificial laws found in the ceremonial laws and their relevance for us today. These bible texts seem to clearly point out the context of the two difficult bible texts that are mention above, so I must conclude that the ceremonial law has been nailed to the cross. When examining the writings of E.G. White she uses words straight from the sanctuary to describe what type of laws had been abolished. So where does that leave the Moral law or 10 Commandments. I feel that Christ fulfilled the Spirit of the Law but the Law endures forever. The Law is the reason why Christ had to come and save us, so it is still relevant for us today.
My concern is if Adventists present this message without completely understanding what they are saying and why they are saying it they will appear to water down the message all together. It does matter what day we worship, we do not have to Judge anyone about that, but it does matter; otherwise, we can stop having Evangelistic meetings because everything and everybody is going to be all right and our message is not needed. This may come off as an extreme but like I heard in class Jesus talked in extremes to create a balance. In looking at the context of the bible at a whole I can’t leave out that the book of Revelations message is based on worship, I feel that if the context of these message changes, by changing the meaning and relevance of the Moral laws, we may as well stay in Babylon.
THE BIBLE AND BIBLE ALONE (SOLA SCRIPTULA)
Since I come from a region that has faced numerous extreme teachings regarding the spirit of prophecy I now understand the baseline of the true spirit of prophecy which must be based only in the Bible which illuminates the proper message of the times of prophecy. The Bible clearly explains itself regarding this subject and during our discussion the Holy Scriptures I was able to deduce who are a true prophet and the role of the spirit of prophecy. The message in the writing of prophets should be Christ centered at all times.
The Bible gives us much information on how to tell what is a true prophet and how to tell if a prophet is false. For instance Isaiah 8:20 states “"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them”. This implies that a true prophet must always use the as a guide to the true prophecy and harmony should prevail at least. Likewise all prophecies should be fulfilled as the Deuteronomy 18:22 put it “If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him”. This also require the prophecies to be exact and to the point. The two verses provide an insight that originates from God who does not require our efforts to tell people what is coming in the future. So Mrs. White qualifies to be a true prophetess of God who was given the message regarding all issues but we should not use her books above the Bible to avoid fanaticism like what happened in our region where people avoided the Bible and resorted to her books which ended up in total confusion with a number deserting the church.
Furthermore in the New Testament Jesus Christ is portrayed as the source that illuminates those who are willing to be lead by the Holy Spirit to reveal more of God than mere speculations which are meant to scare people. Again you shall know these prophets by their fruits as Mathew 7:20 sums it up, and Galatians 5:22 lists the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This in turn explains why Mrs. White is regarded as extra Biblical prophet because her activities were Holy Spirit lead with much revelation from Jesus Christ which is lacking in most self proclaimed prophet and she never proclaimed to be one but preferred to be called a messenger of the Lord.
Another aspect that thrilled my mind is the spirit of prophecy which is the testimony of Christ is the identifying mark of the remnant church who have opened the gates for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. As God chose the Israelites from among the nations for a special purpose so the remnant are also chosen as a special people for specific purpose which includes upholding the law of God and the spirit of prophecy.
So the Bible (the law and testimony) is our guide for judging who is a true prophet. A real prophet will say things that will come to pass and he will lead you to worship the true God. The bible then remains our source of inspiration to know more of Jesus Christ as He leads as others follow.
THE SANCTUARY AND THE LAW
Although the topic does not depict the proper relationship of the two doctrinal issues but to some extend they are much related and that is why they cropped in during the week. You can not talk about the sanctuary and fail to mention the guiding principles in it that is the Law. The sanctuary was first constructed with the instructions given by God himself where the Ark of the Covenant was placed in it with the law inside.
In the light of our discussions I discovered that the sanctuary is both literal and symbolic. In the literal sense Moses was given direct instructions on how to make a sanctuary for the Lord. Exodus 25:8-9 clearly sates as “And let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show thee, the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the furniture”. This then implies the sanctuary was real there and all instructions as pertains its usage were clearly spelled. All the rituals and sacrifices were done physically hence literal. At the same time it was God’s dwelling place among His people (Exodus12:17).
On the other hand it is symbolic since “We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man” (Hebrews 8:2). Here the Lord has made a sanctuary in heaven where man has not participated in constructing but Christ is the high priest ministering on our behalf because we are not worthy to sit in that throne of mercy.
Although this issue has generated a lot of controversy regarding whether symbolic or literal, Sister White has shade the following light that the term "sanctuary," as used in the Bible, refers, first, to the tabernacle built by Moses, as a pattern of heavenly things; and, secondly, to the "true tabernacle" in heaven, to which the earthly sanctuary pointed. At the death of Christ the typical service ended. The "true tabernacle" in heaven is the sanctuary of the new covenant. And as the prophecy of Daniel 8:14 is fulfilled in this dispensation, the sanctuary to which it refers must be the sanctuary of the new covenant. At the termination of the 2300 days, in 1844, there had been no sanctuary on earth for many centuries. Thus the prophecy, "Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed," unquestionably points to the sanctuary in heaven (GC 417).
Another issue is now concerning the law and which laws are we supposed to follow now since there are ceremonial laws or natural laws and moral laws. Should we follow all or neither? I discovered again that man will want to choose the law that is convenient to a specific situation and after that he forgets about it. I think the Israelites were given all these laws to have a good relationship with God and themselves and since they were good to them so to us today. But to what extend have we respected the moral laws especially today, we have failed and simply avoided to dwell in it since we assume that the grace of God is sufficient to us all. In spite of the much confusion we are in now we therefore need the spirit of prophecy to shade more light on the subject. Sister White has stated that the law is an expression of the thought of God; when received in Christ, it becomes our thought. It lifts us above the power of natural desires and tendencies, above temptations that lead to sin. God desires us to be happy, and He gave us the precepts of the law that in obeying them we might have joy (DA 307,308). So if we follow the spirit of prophecy then we will delight in the law as Romans 7:22 asserts hence no burden at all.
THE CHALLENGE NOW
The plan of salvation was established by God even before the creation of the world but chosen race has denied the existence of the Savior and His work. Then who is now supposed to carry on the task to the world and proclaim the everlasting gospel to the entire world. God has chosen the remnant church to carry on the task but it appears we are not yet ready for the challenge since we have been influenced by the world to change. But should we follow them? Our discussion revealed several aspects which entirely poses a challenge now.
As a church we are supposed to show a good example to others in terms of oneness the world to copy since Galatians 3: 28 states that there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. This is the same unity that is emphasized today so that things that divide like race, equality and gender will no more but Christ is the role model who should remain at the center at all times to prevent the devil to take charge.
The benefit of unity is exemplified by Ellen White also that when we are securely anchored in Christ, we have a power that no human being can take from us. Because we are partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust, partakers of the nature of Him who came to this earth clothed with the habiliments of humanity, that He might stand at the head of the human race and develop a character that was without spot or stain of sin. (Testimonies for the Church V. 9 page 187)
Likewise when there is unity in the church then we shall embrace the diversity of spiritual gifts in the church without any prejudice. Here we discovered that speaking in tongues will not be for the glory of the individual but for the entire church to entice more for Christ. Also other gifts will work for the glory of God as Ellen white did with her gift of public speaking without modern equipments.
Another interesting area was based on the law. Should we discard it since the grace of God is sufficient? No way but should realize that the law is still valid and workable for those who are ready to spread the true gospel of Christ hence a strong relationship between the law and the gospel. Ellen White confirms this idea that no man can rightly present the law of God without the gospel, or the gospel without the law. The law is the gospel embodied, and the gospel is the law unfolded. The law is the root; the gospel is the fragrant blossom and fruit which it bears. (Christ Object lessons page 128).
Clearly it can be seen that the church needs to wake up and stand firm so that the may not get a chance to divide it more. The Bible has shade more light in the unity of the church and its significance which requires us to be serious to avoid negatives portrayed by the unconverted people who claim to have the right message to the world. On top of this we have the privilege of being enlightened by the writings of Ellen G. White who has reinforced what the Bible says regarding the unity of the church in the spread of the gospel truth to the very end.
We therefore have a challenge to perform our very best so the world may know Christ as redeemer who came to fulfill what was already established before the foundation of the world. His nature has not changed to date.
The Great Controversy
The Great Controversy is such a great blessing to the theology of our church. Many issues that other denominations wrestle with are very easily explained within the concept of this thought. Many publishers today are printing books on the ethics of evil. All kinds of different assumptions then are drawn about God and his nature. Often I find that illogical conclusions are used in order to explain the suffering and pain around us. At times I also wonder if the explanations are even any comfort to those that are going through the trial times. This is where the Great Controversy makes life so easy for us. It explains issues like origin of evil, reason for our existence, how we even cease to exist, and what happens to us when we die. These questions are some that every human being wrestles with, regardless if they are claiming to be religious or not.
Another good point in this reading was in the section on defining the issues that are involved between the liberals and conservative. It was so interesting to see how each side has its benefits and downfalls. It was characterized so well. It reminds me that it is so easy to at times be on the one side or the opposite, but to hit the middle road is so incredibly hard.
Though I have realized how important the idea of the Great Controversy is, after reading this section I realized that there is so much more than I had not thought about it. The GC is so big and it is so immense that is covers so many other type of issues.
One of the things that I enjoyed a lot in class was the idea about the law and the lack of it. It is a hard issue to wrap ones head around. It seems as humans we want to have certainty and we want to see things in a black and white view. It is easier to just say this is right or wrong. To have absolute makes it easier. There is less thinking involved and it does not require reevaluating every situation. I think especially for myself I want to philosophy about the issues that I want to find an excuse for and then for the ones I am “enlightened” about I have absolute truth. So in that case I hold the understanding to a certain subject and in the uncertainty or problems cases I just use rationalism. This is something that really frustrates me personally because in my own life I find that I can be either. Many examples come to mind where I have either justified something or I have held to a view so strongly that is does not leave any room for anyone else. And that makes me internally sad. Yet at the same time, this idea gives me a glimpse of my inadequacy. At times I think it is really important to be humbled and to remember that we are not perfect and that there is so much more to be learned. I think for myself I will add to my early morning prayer the idea that I need to be more open to challenging my thoughts daily.
God's communication
I particularly enjoyed the section on “Delivering God’s Message.” Often times it seems we grow up and in our Christian thought and thinking we come up with just one way that God communicates with us. One of the reasons why I have enjoyed the reading so much is because so often in my own thinking I get stuck that God has to communicate in the way that I think is necessary. Instead of allowing God to use all kinds of different communication methods, we often limit him to one particular way. So just in the same way that Ellen White received her visions and messages through different ways, so it is with us today. God will take whatever method and we can be sure that he will communicate with us if we are willing to listen to him through whatever methods he might use.
In the next section “The Listening Messenger” I found it interesting to see how Ellen White remembered how she remembered and wrote down her visions. Again this is a section where preconceived ideas seem to exist. When dealing with the idea of how inspiration takes place, I think most people think that the prophet sits at a table and just either during or after their vision and writes the entire event or message down. It was interesting to read that Ellen White did not write down everything at once. Instead she wrote down the pieces that she remembered. To some extend I find that really interesting and rewarding. To some extend that makes the idea of inspiration easier in my head. Not necessarily with writing down visions, but with other materials. Often you wonder why is something inspired and why is other stuff not inspired. What gives me comfort is the fact that in this process of writing down material in process it seems to me that guidance can come from God. It reminds me a little of growth process. Some things take time to develop.
Something that I have enjoyed about the lecture last week was in conjunction to the Appendix P. I think it is interesting that truth is often understood and misunderstood as just one point not in a circle but instead in an ellipse. Truth is more complex than just one absolute and radical idea. I think Herbert Douglas discussed this topic very well in his appendix. The discussions that we had in our class also helped with understanding better the idea that some simple concepts that we believe in are perhaps not as simple as they initially appear. The simple answers we throw at people often do not work. There is more to it than what we often allow ourselves to think of. I think that often we are preconceived in our own thinking and limited to that. And because this is such an important issue that often gets neglected I think it is important to think of it. I know for myself I often get stuck in a certain frame of mind that hinders me to see from another perspective. But when it comes to theology I think it is important to see the holistic view point, other wise it is very easy to fall either to the left or the right.
Title: What is Prophet
Si On Sung
Reaction Paper #1
This is the first time I am taking a class about the life of Ellen White, and her ministry. When I first heard the name of this class, it gave me impression that from the first class to the end of the class, all I am going to hear is about Ellen White. However, during the first week of the class, we have barely touched the life of Ellen White, but rather we have learned and set the basic foundation of what the prophet is all about.
It was very helpful for me to learn the basic meaning and the definition of what the prophet is, because I was born in Seventh-day Adventist family and I heard a lot of quotation from Ellen White’s writings and often it gave me a negative impression of her.
As a Seventh-day Adventist, we respect Ellen White as a gifted prophet from God, but I learned that the gift of prophecy is not limited to Ellen White in modern era. Scripture is the inspiration, and the church is the illumination. Therefore, anyone in the church can illuminate the Word of God, and if the church is the illumination, everyone is supposed to illuminate the Word of God. Of course, that does not mean that we all have to tell what is going to happen in the future, nor we will degrade the work of Ellen White, but we must have something to tell the world that they need to hear.
It was interesting to learn that church is not for salvation, but for the mission. Therefore, everybody in the church has mission to accomplish. I have learned that we all can be a prophet who brings biblical, and Christ centered messages that is relevant to the world.
Since this paper is to reflect on the class lecture, I want to mention one question that came to my mind during the first week of the class. The question was “what is miracle?” We learned that nature is the content which we live in. I know that Bible contains laws that we must follow, but nature also has laws that we are confined to. Human are suppose to follow the laws whether it is biblical laws or natural laws and if we don’t, we are suppose to be in troubles. However, there is something that goes against the natural laws which we call miracles. When we human are suppose to live under the law, often we ask God for miracles which goes against the laws.
Eric Washburn Said
Life and Ministry EGW Reflection #1
"Ellen White Human like me!"
In this reflection I will share some of my thoughts that have come to me in class experience and outside reading. In class discussion we talked about the remnant church and its characteristics. I have always wrestled with how we tie Ellen G. White’s ministry with the “testimony of Jesus Christ” and the “spirit of prophecy” found in Revelation 12:17 and Revelation 19:10. As I reflect don’t take my words as a gospel or as something I concretely believe to be true. I am not settled with my views as being the absolute truth, but am open to discovering and learning.
In class it was made clearer to me in that the prophets have preached Christ (the Testimony of Christ), which is the spirit of prophecy. When I read this I think of the Christ being the central theme of the Bible and all that the prophets wrote have this spirit or spiritual theme. To say the Adventist church is the remnant because it has a prophet is to read to much into these text in my opinion. At times I feel that we have conveniently titled her works as being the “Spirit of Prophecy”, therefore we are the remnant. I see Revelation 12:17 and 19:10 saying something much bigger than the ministry of Ellen G. White. I don’t think it is speaking of her work alone as we often portray from the pulpit, but of all the Prophets of the Bible who pointed and testified to Christ work and ministry as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. So the remnant is not a denomination who declares to have a prophet, and keep the commandments of God. The remnant is group of people who keep the commandments, and have the scriptures which that testify of Jesus Christ. So, having Ellen White doesn’t make us “The” remnant, but having the scriptures does. This means to me personally that the remnant is not a denomination but any individual believer who holds the Bible as the rule of faith and practice (Commandment keeping included).
Reading the Messenger of The Lord by Herbert Douglass for the second time has been a nice review of the history and personal life of Ellen G. White. On page 54 there is two letters that Ellen wrote, the first she speaks strong words toward her husband, and the second is her apology to the first. It is comforting to read that Ellen White was human and shared her feelings and even had to asked forgiveness. I have always had the idea that a prophet had to be perfect and spotless to be representative of God, but this is not the case, God could even select me to be His messenger.
The next item of interest in my reading was to see all the hardship Ellen White went through. She lost to sons in their early ages, and she herself battled many ailments. Seeing her compassion for her husband in sickness, and encouragement to him is a nice revelation. She really wished her husband wouldn’t work so hard, and would take sometime in doing recreation, a lesson all pastor should follow (56).
I wish there were audio recordings of Ellen G. Whites sermons, so that I could hear her style and passion in her words. Ellen White shared how the devil would increase his attacks when she was about to speak at the pulpit. She said she would not listen to her feelings, but would move forward and “hang her helpless soul” on Christ. I find encouragement is this that even Ellen White had feelings of weakness, and needed to rest her fears upon Christ.
She in her early age struggled with a fearsome picture of God, but than discovered a compassionate God. Ellen Whites personal journey in discovering who God is became a underlying theme in her ministry. Her writings have taken on the mission to unmask Satan as the source of pain and suffering and God as redeemer and friend. Revealing the true picture/character of God is the mission that we all are called to proclaim in our words and in our lives as well. Ellen Whites writings is a good source to find wonderful pictures of our God and Savior. Reading her personal letters have been a blessing to me, as I get to know the one who had the greatest influence on the Adventist movement.
Title: Understanding the Whole Context
Si On Sung
Reaction Paper #2
As we have learned in the class, Ellen White was a messenger from the Lord. However, that did not mean that she was a super-woman as the textbook mentioned. She had her own struggles in her life and sometimes she made mistakes. She wasn’t a perfect woman, and in fact, her body was weaker than ordinary people.
When she was young, her brain was damaged severely and left her fatal wounds. Her eyes were damaged, she got seizure disorder, and years later, she wrenched her ankle which cost her rheumatism. Her unhealthy body constantly bothered her until her death. Even though, her body wasn’t free of pain, she was fully blessed by God, and through the love of God, she was able to see the true character of God. When she realized the grace and love of God though the Bible, she was able to have dynamic relationship with the Lord as a friend.
People argue and fight for their doctrines of the Bible throughout the history, and we still do. Unfortunately, people often take out one quote from the Bible and make a doctrine out of it, without understanding the whole contents. In the class, I learned the importance of understanding the whole context. Often, we argue who is right, rather it is literal or symbolic, and rather it is O.K. to do it or not. However, when we understand the whole context, we can see in many times that it is both. It is both literal and symbolic, it is O.K. and not O.K. depending on the situation. The Bible cannot contradict to itself, because everything in the Bible is written through the Holy Spirit.
It was same for the Great Disappointment in 1844. The interpretation of William Miller was both right and wrong. Majority of people blamed Miller, because he made a mistake, and other went to wrong direction because they kept believed that Miller was absolutely right. I am glad and praise the Lord, because He preserved and guided the remnant to keep the truth that Miller found and at the same time to correct the mistake he made. It is always important to not judge anything too fast, because it will lead to one extreme or to the other extreme. With the guidance of God, we always have to be careful how we decide and act, because I see that in many cases, things contain both aspects.
Title: True Heart
Si On Sung
Reaction Paper #3
As we have discussed in the class about the Sabbath issue, it is hard to draw a clear line to distinguish what we can do and what we cannot do on the Sabbath. As I was reading the book, same concept was applied to the 7th commandment. Ellen White had reproved a minister for breaking the 7th commandment, but this minister did not have committed any adulterous acts. W. C. White explained to him that it is hard for human to distinguish the clear line, and often we simply judge by the appearance and acts that can be seen with eyes, but God looks through our hearts. I believe that if we are faithful to the Scripture and pray sincerely to follow the truth, Holy Spirit will guide our hearts to the right way. Therefore, even though I attend church every Sabbath, pay all my tithe, and I appear to be faithful church member to the others, if I my hear is not facing toward God, I realized that everything is vain in the eyes of God.
As I was reading the book, I have learned that even the prophet can make a mistake. When she gave wrong advises to General Conference, she was corrected by the vision. Prophets also grow and learn as other believers do. Prophets are merely human being and they are not God. We are endlessly learning, and there is no end to become like Christ. When I was in undergraduate student in college, I thought that studying would be over in few years when I finish my undergraduate program. However, more and more I learn, I realize that there is more to learn. Therefore, as we come closer to Christ, we can see that we are nothing and we must humble ourselves.
We know from the statement from Ellen White that God spoke to His people though prophets and apostles in ancient time. In nowadays, however, He speaks to us through the testimonies of Holy Spirit. Therefore, Ellen White’s vision was only to lead and confirm to the truth of the Bible. She even mentioned that her “Testimonies” was unnecessary if everyone seek and live according to the Bible standard and make His Word into their lives. Therefore, Bible must be our only infallible truth and correction must be made according to the Bible, even to the people whom we consider to be a prophet.
Eric Washburn
Life and Ministry EGW Reflection #2
"Ellen White was not a Astronomer"
Class Discussion Reflection:
My journey with the Spirit of Prophecy first began in 1998 when I read Steps to Christ on a mission trip. Since than I have read Desire of Ages, Great Controversy, Christ Object Lesson, Evangelism, The Sanctified Life, Last Day Events, and Gospel Workers. Our class discussion on Ellen White calling herself a messenger of the Lord, struck a cord with me. I do believe she is a prophet or a messenger from God for our last days. But there is another side in me makes we cringe when I hear other people say it publicly.
The connotation of the name Prophet in our day is very negative. When someone says prophet, we think of a false prophet, fanaticism, on the fringe, and unbiblical. I just watched a movie this past Sabbath on the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah was given a message of warning to give to the King and his people to repent. When they did not, Babylon moved in surrounding the city, Jeremiah than told them to surrender to the Babylonians, which they refused to their destruction. My appreciation for the prophet’s work and the sacrifices they have to make to carry it out has grown. From my readings of Ellen White I see her as a balance prophet when taken in her full context. The danger I see is when we play prophet by taking her writings and applying them to a person, situation, and say, “thus saith the Lord” when He has not spoken.
The second subject that I would like to reflect on is that of the Judgment discussed in class. We came to the conclusion that the judgment began for the dead, starting with Adam in 1844. We can speculate till Jesus comes, where Christ might be in His judgment process. Has He started with the living yet? I was doing the math, there is about 200,000 human born each day, 1,400,000 per week, 5,600,000 million per month, and 67,200,000 million per year. So the judgment of the living appears to be problematic.
But this may not be the case, Christ could speed up His judgment by allowing humans to set up their Sunday laws, which would create the final testing truth for the world. The inhabitant of the earth would have to decide, will I serve man’s decrees, or the Creator. So, is it the judgment the reason Christ hasn’t return? Or is He waiting for a 144,000 to truly reflect His character? Or is He waiting for us to wake up and preach the gospel with compassion and commitment? Why not take the holistic view, and say all three! I can agree with that.
Book Reading Reflection:
I found it quite enlightening that Ellen White believed in being tactful by revising some of her books to be more public friendly. She did not want the style of writing or the wording to discourage the reader, so she saw it fit to change the wording to win rather offend (such as the revision with the books Great Controversy and Education). This is a great lesson for anyone who needs to communicate the gospel in the public arena. We need not put on billboards the Pope is the Anti Christ, brought to you by your friends the Adventist. We can be tactful by meeting with people individually, and than laying out all the characteristics of the beast power, than share history, and allow them come to their own conclusions. People do much better coming to truth on their own, than being force.
I find it fascinating that God would give Ellen White a vision of astronomy of her time, which would be incorrect in our present day, so that it would encourage Joseph Bates a amateur astronomer to believe in her prophetic gift. Herbert Douglass says that if she were to reveal what we see with our present day telescopes, Bates would of declared her to be a fraud. Wow! Even history found in the Great Controversy has been proven to be inaccurate by Adventist historians. Could it be that God gave her broad outlines of the Great Controversy or astronomy, and she was to fill in the brush strokes with the history and knowledge of her day. And are we as believers today not to look at the minute details, but the principles and lesson we can learn from the “whole” picture? I am comfortable with seeing her astronomy and history writing in this light. What about her books such as the conflict series, such as the book Desire of Ages? What if she was using commentators of her day to make a point? For this reason, I don’t think we can use her writings to make a doctrinal position for the church, but the Bible alone. We always have to keep the big picture in mind when reading her writings, and even the Bible. I am learning more each day that a holistic approach is the safest route to take.
Eric Washburn
Life and Ministry EGW Reflection #3
"Should we Baptize Pork eaters?"
Class Discussion Reflection:
In class we spent significant time discussing the law mention in Galatians 3:24-25, as being both the ceremonial and the Ten Commandments. We concurred that this was both laws, and that brought us to the awareness that we are in need of Christ righteousness to be justified. But verse 25 goes on to say that we are no longer under the law, but under Christ. I think we are no longer under the condemnation of the law, but it requirements of obedience are still binding upon us. Jesus abolished the consequences (condemnation) of the Law that we deserved in His flesh, so that we who believe can stand as new creature in peace with God (Ephesians 2:15).
We discussed the idea of the both ceremonial and the Decalogue was not nailed to the cross in Colossians 2:14, but our transgression in the written record was. This would make both the ceremonial and the Decalogue still binding upon us. This idea kind of confuses me, and makes me feel even more burden as believer. The Decalogue makes rational sense for me to keep, but most of the ceremonial laws and traditions that were a shadow pointing to Christ as their fulfillment do not. So what do we do with the ceremonial law?
I feel more comfortable with the traditional way of interpreting this verse with having only the ceremonial law being nailed to cross. As the veil was ripped from top to bottom and the sacrificial lamb running away, signifies to me a new way to God, through the merits and death of Christ, putting to end the ceremonial practices. In some cases what wasn’t done away with at the cross was modified by Jesus setting up a new custom to take place the old ones. For example Jesus set up a new Passover ceremony called the Lords supper, which points to His body broken, and blood spilled out for our redemption. Some might ask what about the Leviticus health laws, are they nailed to the cross with the ceremonial laws? I think we can separate these from the ceremonial laws, because they have their beginning in Genesis flood story. Plus, God is interested in our health, and His health principles have been proven scientifically to be the best way to live.
Book Reading Reflection:
In chapter 22 of The Messenger of the Lord, Herbert Douglas shares how Ellen White always wrote with the Great Controversy theme in mind. On what ever subject Ellen White wrote on, weather it was theological, principles in education, health, mission, and social issues, the Great Controversy theme was in its core. She painted in broad sweep the history of redemption by beginning with war in heaven, creation, God’s chosen people, Christ rejection and death, His church expansion and reformation, and a remnant being called out for the last days mission in her Conflict Series. This series not only unmasked Satan as the author of evil, but reveals the true character of a loving God deeply concerned about saving every child of the human race. I find it simply trilling that the majority of her written work with the Great Controversy theme in mind was written to prepare a last day people to give a warning cry of Christ second coming, and a message that transforms the body, mind, and soul for translation.
Douglas points out that Ellen White beautifully unites two truths that cannot be truth unless they have a relationship with each other. Such as the law and grace, Christ redeemer and ruler, God’s work and man’s work in salvation, and the relationship between repentance and transformation. I found it interesting that we only find ourselves in trouble when we imbalance truth by putting more weight on one item of truth than the other. For example if we focus too much on grace with out the law, we have people thinking that they can be saved without ever having to be obedient to God. On the other hand if we were to focus on the law without grace, than we would have a legalism that would cause despondency among all believers. What a fine example of being holistic in creating doctrine.
I also found it to be a blessing to see that Ellen White was not perfect, but she too had to give up her views, her way of life, diet, as the Lord revealed new truth to her in vision. Five years before her vision of 1863, Ellen White didn’t feel that the Lord wanted the movement to stop eating swine flesh, but the Leviticus laws were nailed to the cross. And she made a profound statement, “He will teach His church their duty… I saw that the angels of the God would lead His people no faster than they could receive and act upon the important truths that are communicated to them” (Testimony to the Church Vol.1, pg 206-7).
God waited for the Adventist church to organize under the General Conference before giving Ellen White her health reform vision, so that the church would be first in unity of spirit and in harmony on doctrine. I find this profound in how God deals with mankind, He doesn’t want to give us a information over load, but want to reveal truth to us slowly so that we don’t get burden and over whelmed.
I see a valuable lesson here that we can apply to our modern day evangelism. If God can wait five years to tell Ellen White to give up swine flesh so that she doesn’t get over whelmed, than why can’t we wait a few years before requiring new believers to accept this truth. I think it is kind of over whelming to hear truth preached in a evangelistic meeting in 18 nights that came to us as a church in a 80 year time span. And than expect all attendance to gladly accept the truth. And if they don’t, we cast them aside as lost, and move on to new territory. What if we did evangelism like God would to a friend. First share the simple gospel of Jesus, and all the Christ centered Doctrine that is needed to develop a relationship with Him. Than we would allow them time accept Christ as their Savior, and than Baptize them.
I believe we could leave out the health message as a requirement to join Christ’s church. We would continue to build a friendship by plugging them in to a small group to build them up in Christ. The health message will be taught to them, but we allow time for them to make that lifestyle change on God’s time. I feel that is many evangelistic meeting we throw all this wonderful truth on people’s shoulders; over load them; play Holy Spirit to convict them; and if they don’t accept it in our three week time line, we close probation for them, and judge them as lost and move onto our next “crusade”. I think we can learn a lot from how God has dealt with His people in the past, and practice the same kind of mercy, and patience He did to each other. Why do we end friendship when people don’t accept all our truths. Why not continue our friendship and love them. Let the Holy Spirit bring the conviction, for where there is breath there is always time for spiritual growth.
Ellen White's Unique Role
One of my favorites chapters was chapter V. I found it so interesting because much of the information was new to me and I saw a side of Ellen White that was very different. This chapter made her really human, not that I thought of her as that different. But often it seems that prophets and people we look up to, do not suffer the same problems that we do. So to see a letter dialogue between James and Ellen where you see the elements of argument, pride, sassy and yet also humbleness, forgiveness and repentance, is just real. Ellen had human problems and faced human issues. She failed and made mistakes. She was after all human. And yet at the same time, the way she conducted herself was very different from how many of us today would react. In her dialogue and her representation of herself she has a holy sense about here. Ellen would state some profound things at times. “Prayer is well, but living out your prayers is still more essential” (55).
Another section that I greatly enjoyed in this reading was Ellen’s role as a mother. In particularly this section I believe it is very clear what kind of struggles she faced in her days. As a mother she admits to not having always the right answer (58). She failed her family and she was humble enough to admit to that and adjust things. She was seeking the council of God and when she received it she obeyed and trusted that it would go that way. The final paragraph of that chapter really brings the entire thing home (60).
My favorite reading section was the Appendix P. I have been thinking in circles and have tried to make circles work. I think the section is very perceptive in dealing with the often two-faced realities of our doctrines and theology. This section is helpful in trying to understand some of the seemingly opposed view. Within the Hebrew mindset the dichotomies were not really a problem. I thought the ellipse idea was really clear because it makes sense in our current line of thinking and makes this concept applicable. This is definitely something that I will work through more and most likely adapt.
Messenger of the Lord by Herbert E. Douglass ( Reflection Paper I)
The best method of arriving at a clear picture of the prophetic ministry of Ellen G. White, as well as understanding the focus of the writings is to consider time, place and circumstances that govern what she wrote. Geographically, the first 20 years of her life was spent in the area of Portland, Maine. From the 1830’s – 1840’s, the United States experienced a growth explosion as several states joined the union and the population increased. Much of her writings included the times of social change, slavery & civil war. The religious movement was characterized by what we would classify as “charismatic,” involving speaking in tongues and being “slain in the spirit.” These were demonstrations at camp meetings and revivals among the Methodist denomination which she joined at an early age. Despite the physical injury that she experienced, she writes she might not have known Jesus were it not for that trauma. The preaching of Wm Miller led to her Sabbath awakening, also two dreams, one a tender portrayal of Jesus’ healing touch as a friend.
There are many questions about the authenticity of the message and / or messenger. Herbert E. Douglass in “The Messenger of the Lord,” examines the life of this extra biblical prophet. Many did not have a clear view of how God speaks to His human messenger. Some felt that there was exact dictation therefore emphasis was placed upon verbal revelation. The book points out that God has inspired His messengers in thought, not in words. Many instances show directions from God were given in word.
To explore the revelation of God’s word, it is important to note that the test of God is Jesus, and the test of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy. Look at the four Revelations:
1. Christ revealed by incarnation ( word) “Search the scriptures....they are they that
testify of me” And ye will not come to me that ye might have life John 5: 39-40
2. Scripture by inspiration 2 Tim.3:15-17 .”All scripture is given by inspiration of God
3. Church revealed by illumination “We have a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place 2 Pet. 1:19-21.
4. Cosmos revealed by creation (word ) The heavens declare the glory of God Ps19:1-4 “For the invisible things of him from creation of the world are clearly seen“… Rom. 1:20
“The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy “(Rev12:17), as testified by the angel in (Rev.19:10) “being also a fellow servant and of thy brethren the prophets” (Rev. 22:8, 9).
God in speaking to Aaron and Miriam, stated “.. If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. Numbers 12:6. As pointed out in section II, Ellen White wrote in a letter: “None are compelled to believe. God gives sufficient evidence that all may divide upon the weight of evidence, but never has nor never will remove all chance for doubt, never will force faith.”
Her new belief made her aware that we are not ready for the coming of the Lord; that we must become pure in heart, or we cannot see God or meet Him in peace. She found great joy in the Bible and prayer and for attending prayer meetings.
In theology, truth is defined in appendix P as the sum total of objective and subjective elements. Truth must be understood in the form of an eclipse rather than a circle. One focus emphasizes transcendence (revelation). The other is immanence ( human response)
such as reason or feeling. Truth is the opposite of falsehood, and in order to know what is truth, one must have patience in order to obtain wisdom needed to make decisions. Truth, therfore is a fact that has been verified.
To the law and to
the testimony; If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.Is.8:20
Sr. White remained faithful in love to her calling, to Jesus and all Christians.
Student: Geraldine O’Neal GSEM532 7/16/07 Instructor: Dr. Martin Hanna
Student: Geraldine O’Neal
Class: GSEM532
Instructor: Dr. Martin Hanna
Date: July 23, 2007
Reflections From Sections III and IV (MESSENGER OF THE LORD)
These chapters are very specific about the development and organization of the “Sabbatarian” Adventist, a very large part due to the inspirational guidance of Ellen G. White. Following a lack of organization and schism but with constant urging for unity and organization by James and Ellen G. White, in the year 1860 the name “Seventh-day Adventist” was selected. Along with the organization of “the church,” which has clearly a personal and organized side, according to Ellen G. White, many educational and health institutions opened as well. Her ministry focused on church unity and counseled against fanaticism.
I would like to share an inspirational expression that the Lord blessed me to write on the subject of unity.
“Christian Unity:”
This reminds me of a parable short but true,
I hope and pray it will make a lasting impression upon you;
I stood at a window looking out one day,
watching the squirrels as they did run and play.
They jumped about from limb to limb,
seemed that they were aware of me watching them.
I noticed something else on the limb of that tree;
There a bird’s nest lay skillfully made for all to see.
The squirrels saw it too as they continued to play;
They carefully avoided it so that it could stay.
The respect that these tiny creatures had for other’s rights and property,
moved my heart with a tremendous amount of glee;
I sadly exclaimed turning from the window that day,
Lord, too bad humans can’t act that way.
And then my mind recalled these words spoken by the King of Kings as He said:
“The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man
hath not where to lay his head.”
Makes you wonder about the constant struggle for acquisition of so much material things;
Without Christ, only unfulfilled dreams this lifestyle always brings.
Spirit of Prophecy writes about unity that everyone should pursue;
Drawing nigh unto God, Drawing nigh unto one another.
God commanded this principle of love for me and for you.
One way to accomplish this at home, church, school, anywhere
is to reflect upon the cross and Jesus hanging there;
If we should wound by words or deeds,
We must quickly ask forgiveness and be sensitive to other’s needs.
Only through heartfelt prayer, confession, repentance and forsaking of sin,
surrendering the will to God daily can we have a right relationship with all men.
Then we can receive power to love our enemies as God did command,
willing to walk and talk together hand joined with hand.
When Jesus was questioned about the great commandment in the law;
Jesus said: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love
Thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments
hang all the law and the prophets;”
In Matt. 22:37-40 these two commandments are written without a flaw.
In conclusion, we must fast and pray,
to obtain unity and keep the devil away;
We must spend time studying words inspired from above,
For that’s a true determining factor of just how much we really love.
Ps.133:1; Matt. 8:20; ICor.1:10; James 4:8: Matt:22:37-40
Geraldine C. O’Neal © 1999
More Supporting Ministries Needed
The concept of having a faith-sharing organized business that is not under the auspices of the church makes many Adventist church members uncomfortable. Many question sincerity and motives. There is concern that an off-shoot organization will form. The matter of oversight is of great concern. These are concerns that I also have. As I reflect on our conversation last week regarding the remnant and its mission, I believe, however that there is a critical work for Adventist supporting ministries in spreading the gospel.
Should every member of the Seventh-day Adventist church be employed by the church? This is not the position of the Seventh-day Adventist Church – which believes in the universal priesthood of all believers. Otherwise, the church would have to pay each member a salary or stipend. In an age when tithe and offerings giving is low, this would pose a dilemma. Each member is encouraged to do all they can to spread the gospel. What about forming an evangelistic organization - that is not under the auspices of the church? Does the church approve of this? The answer is yes, as long as the organization is teaching sound doctrine and practicing in accordance with Adventist beliefs. “It [the church] also acknowledges such self-supporting institutions whose activities contribute to the attainment of the church's objectives,” The Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual, p. 180.
I recently visited a nearby Adventist supporting ministry that offers work-study services to the community geared at training ex-offenders and recovering addicts to re-enter society as productive citizens. Over the last two years they have provided training and ministry to more than three dozen participants. Incredible testimonies! So here is the question – are local churches prepared to minister to ex-offenders? How willing would they be not only to welcome, but encourage ex-offenders to become members of their congregation? What about having them over for Sabbath dinner (at the member’s homes)? These questions are loaded – clearly not every church board or church business meeting would launch an outreach campaign to reach recovering ex-offenders. Even though we can close our eyes, the department of correction releases over 600,000 ex-offenders every year. Where will they go? Many will return to correctional departments. Will churches provide support, training, love, a sermon, a meal, a ride to these individuals? Some might, some might not. This is where I see the work of supporting ministries playing a vital role. It is not enough to have a conversation after Sabbath dinner about what the church is or is not doing in the community. Faith without works is dead. Therefore works are the natural response of the indwelling Holy Spirit. In my experience, when the Adventist church does not meet a need, other denominations have solutions. This used to trouble me – a lot. Not as much now. I am confident now that the Lord also works through the loving hands of non-Adventists. However, I also believe that we have hands too. Also, I believe that we can learn from Red Red A. D. Venir, a trilingual South American Adventist supporting broadcasting ministry with a similar story to 3ABN - hundreds of thousands have been reached! They have a powerful faith story. Wild faith – yet faith rewarded. When I hear their faith story on-line, it inspires me to exercise my own faith! Another matter is whether all graduating Seminary students shall be offered positions with the church – what shall become of them if they are not hired? Could they not also tell the story of Jesus through a supporting ministry? Of course!
Church allegiance is key for supporting ministries. Obtaining membership through Adventist Laymen's Services and Industries (ASI) is a critical step. This denominational organization was developed to encourage laymen to share Christ in the market place. Membership identifies the organizations as supporting the church. ASI usually has representative membership in the local conferences – thus each conference has a person who oversees keeping track of which supporting ministry falls within its geographic boundaries. Prospective ASI members are screened and need signatures from both local and conference officials – who ensure that the member is in good standing. Unwavering support for the local & conference church is required. Membership is renewed yearly. Membership identifies the organization as Adventist. Also supporting ministries can list their business with the North American Division under www.plusline.org – which provides valuable resources to beginning ministries. Interested parties can log on and see – by clicking on Organizations – which ministries are supporting. In this manner, one can do a “background check” on an organization or evangelist on a “division-approved” list. Our church understands that supporting ministries are vital support to tell the story of Jesus world-wide. I do too.
Identifying Marks
This past week’s classes on the life and ministry of Ellen G. White are fundamental to any Seventh-day Adventist. A proper understanding of her gift of prophecy is crucial to the appreciation of her role as a prophet and the messages she gave to the Church.
Ellen White rose to prophetic ministry shortly after the completion of a prophetic period indicating a major turn in events of this earth’s history. Her rise not only came at a very important time in history but her ministry was indicative of the characteristics of God’s church after that time.
One of the identifying marks of the Remnant Church as described in Revelation 12 is the spiritual gift of prophecy. If Ellen White did not possess a prophetic gift, as some claim, then the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church cannot justly identify itself as that Remnant Church. Its validity would be questionable without the presence of that prophetic gift. The SDA Church owes a lot more to Ellen White’s prophetic ministry than many of its members realize or are willing to admit. Not only does she shed invaluable insights onto Bible truths, the character of God and future events, but the church itself has its very identity rooted in her gift of prophecy.
According to the first two verses of the book of Revelation, God the Father gave a message to Jesus Christ who showed the message to His servant John through an angel. Christ showing the message to John is described as the testimony of Jesus (verse 2).
God
Jesus Christ
Angel
Servant (John)
According to Revelation 19:10, the testimony of Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophecy.
The two identifying marks of the Remnant Church according to Revelation 12:17 are that it keeps the commandments of God and has the testimony of Jesus. As shown above, this testimony is also referred to as the spirit of prophecy. Thus the SDA church can justly identify itself as that church when it acknowledges Ellen White’s prophetic role within the church and also be the acceptance and the promotion of the commandments of God which include the seventh day Sabbath.
2 Timothy 3:16 says that all scripture is given by inspiration of God. Since the Bible was written by men who were inspired by God in much the same way as John the revelator was inspired, it follows that the entire Bible is the testimony of Jesus. Jesus confirms this in John 5:39.
There are several revelations of God. The first and foremost is that of Jesus Christ. His incarnation and visit to planet earth gave humans the best picture of God that they can have. To the many generations of humanity that did not have the opportunity to be in His presence while He was here 2000 years ago, they are given the inspired word in scripture. According to 2 Corinthians 3:2, the followers of Christ are a revelation to the world as to who God is and what His character is. His church gives glory to God in living up to its purpose (Ephesians 3:21). Another revelation of God is, of course, His creation. His power, sovereignty and character are revealed by the things He has made (Romans 1:20, Psalm 19:1).
God respects the freewill of individuals by not making Himself blatantly obvious. The veil that ‘hides’ Him can only be removed by choosing to believe in Him. His inspired Word builds up the faith of the believer. A true prophet always has Christ at the centre of their message. When Christ is lifted up, man is drawn to His goodness and love and there begins the saving relationship God longs for with every individual. Thus prophets are a vital gift to establish and grow the faith of man ever since his fall. Ellen White clearly fulfils this role.
Wanted: Better Instruction & Instructors
Our children and youth need help understanding the ministry of Sister White. In my home conference, I have had the opportunity to get feedback regarding perceptions to Sister White & her ministry. I believe that overall, there is a poor understanding of her work and ministry. In most pulpits in our conference, it is doctrinally “safe” to use her writings – the issue comes when ministering to the youth. For this group – the words “spirit of prophecy” or “Sister White” have left a bad taste in their mouths. Why? I believe this is related to: low church school attendance, lack of proper instruction for the children attending our church schools, lack of proper instruction in the church youth organizations, and negative experiences with church authorities.
Regarding low church school attendance, in my experience, close to sixty percent of our children are not attending church school. For these students who miss out on the instruction, it only makes it more difficult for them, as they are missing basic information on the spirit of prophecy. The North American Division Education Department recommends that schools utilize our published resources - Pathways of the Pioneers, Keepers of the Flame, & the eDream video promoting E. G. White. We have resources - the curriculum is certainly there. I feel at times, that the proper instruction does not transfer over for the kids who are in church school. For the kids who are not enrolled in church school, when shall they get the instruction at all? At church? In Sabbath School, A.Y., Pathfinder, or Adventurer meetings? If yes, shall they regularly attend the meetings? Who shall teach the subject? Clearly, sound curriculum, instruction and instructors are needed.
The negative church experiences for our youth are far too common. Many have been “knocked down” with their developing questions because they’ve heard all too often that they cannot do this or that because “Sister White said…..” Because of the inappropriate application of her counsel, many youth associate Sister White only with restrictions and not with encouragement or inspiration. The youth learn to shun certain conversations around certain adults because they know what the response will be – another unpractical lecture that leaves little light on the matter. Qualified instructors are clearly needed on the topic. The instruction is needed at every level, including our leadership. I see that her life and ministry has been such a blessing specifically to us as a people. No doubt, the enemy knows that we could spiritually prosper as a people – thus her special ministry has been riddled with opposition and misunderstanding. There is work to do!
No Halfway Point
“God is either teaching His church… or He is not. This work is of God or it is not. There is no halfway work in the matter. The testimonies are of the Spirit of God or of the Devil…” “The Holy Ghost is the author of the Scriptures and of the Spirit of Prophecy…” Ellen White quoted in the Messenger of the Lord, p. 420, Douglass.
I believe that Sister White’s writings are inspired. The Conflict of the Ages Series has been a personal and spiritual blessing for me and my family. They are a great source of encouragement. Great light has been shed light on many Biblical passages. Yet, it is seen as heretical to even bring up these passages as abandoning Scripture. I believe that the Holy Ghost inspired the Bible authors & that the same Holy Spirit also inspired Sister White. I don’t see that the two are opposed to each other, but I see them working in harmony. Yet, there is a trend from our pulpits to dismantle her teachings. Why?
I can only see that spiritual warfare is involved. For example, when Sister White provides additional detail to Biblical stories – I see great value in this! The Desire of Ages provides a tremendous background to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ - even providing details that are not found in the Bible! This includes His birth, childhood, his ministry, the attitudes of the disciples, His passion, resurrection and post-resurrection encounters, etc. Her writings extend not replace what the Bible teaches! What a treasure!
So, then are her writings less inspired because they are not in the Bible? Certainly not! Yet many see the Desire of Ages as an Adventist Time magazine – decent reading material if you’re at the dentist’s office, but otherwise, it’s not for scholarly or serious use, & certainly not inspired. I greatly disagree with this view! I know that many would called me a fundamentalist on this matter, but if this is the title given to people who accept Sister White’s authority as God’s prophetess with specific love messages to His people & the world – than I can live with that. I do not believe that the devil fooled us with Sister White. I do not believe that she is a servant of Satan! These are pretty strong words – yet, this is the subconscious belief by many Adventists. There is a question of her authority. There is a concern by many Adventists that the church has yielded to tradition and gone astray by listening to an outdated messenger- pioneer. We should adjust to new times, and keep her in the context of 1844, some believe. They insist that she should not be quoted at all. My position is that we should understand that there is a great controversy going on between Christ and Satan- an on-going spiritual struggle going for the minds of children on earth. We are living in the earth’s final hour – we have special needs, therefore, the Lord has made provision for these needs through the Spirit of Prophecy (Holy Spirit, Bible, & Sister White). Many Adventists have not thought critically about Sister White’s role in these dangerous times. Would a rigorous study of the Bible and Sister White writings offend Christ? I don’t think so. Sadly, as new members enter the faith, we poorly present her ministry, or don’t do it at all so that the implication is that Sister White should be ignored. It seems as though we are sounding less unique and more like the other groups in the World Council of Churches. Too much listening to mainline televangelists has skewed our thinking. The rationale by some is that speaking about her ministry will give Adventist the impression – again - that we are a cult, so “we’d better keep her hush-hush, in the secret E.G. White crypt in the church basement”, otherwise, the world will finally confirm what they already think of us anyway.
I do not believe that she was a fake. So, then, why should I be ashamed of her teaching? Better put, why base my faith on what others think? Better to move forward from this point with thus saith the Lord. Clearly, how we teach the ministry is central to the matter. Obviously some would prefer that we not teach, because it is not politically correct in our day and age. Better for us to keep in mind that popularity is not an identifying mark of the remnant church – so I can live with the labeling. I am not planning on forcing her message, but neither am I hiding her in the secret basement crevices of the church – not going to happen! Because of my previous experience as an Adventist school principal, I believe that part of our challenge is instructional. I do not think that it is hopeless, I see this as full of hope. Others (including Adventists) should be taught the precious truth about gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Messenger of the Lord
God communicates to man through various ways one of which is through His prophets. Prophets are referred to as messengers of the Lord (Malachi 3:1) which is an interchangeable term with ‘angel’. In Revelation 1:1 and 22:16 angels are specifically referred to as messengers.
Although prophets are messengers of the Lord they do not always understand the message they are relaying to humanity (1 Peter 1:8-12). Often times the message they are recording is for a time period in the future where people living in that future period will better understand what the prophet had recorded. Daniel is one of many examples where he did not completely understand all the visions he saw but he recorded them anyway and god sealed them. This means He hid the meaning of the prophecies and in order to unveil it at a time He deems appropriate. Seventh-day Adventists (SDA) believe that the true meaning of Daniel’s 2,300 day prophecy was unveiled only after the great disappointment in late 1844.
The term ‘messenger of the Lord’ is a Biblical term which Ellen White employs in describing her ministry. The Bible refers to Jesus as the messenger of the Lord. Angels, prophets, as well as church ministers are also referred to in like manner. Ellen White steered away from calling herself a prophetess because it would have caused people to be less receptive of her. In a time where prophets were viewed with great skepticism she called herself the messenger of the Lord which as we have seen means exactly the same thing as prophet. People that knew Ellen White knew her as someone that displayed great humility. Never did she boast in her prophetic gift but always admonished or instructed people in the most loving and appropriate way. Even though she felt rejected many times she went about doing the work she was called to do by laying down her pride and clinging to her faith in Jesus Christ to sustain her.
Like anything, a message is best interpreted within its context. A written text is best interpreted within the paragraph it belongs to which is best interpreted within the book, library, as well as the time and environment. This includes the culture and the circumstances under which the statement was made.
For one to understand Ellen White’s messages from God they need to be interpreted within the context they are made in. Many statements are made with certain conditions attached to them. This is no different from Biblical writers. Paul gives instruction to be followed only if certain conditions are met. For example in 1 Corinthians 11:6 he uses the word “if” to denote conditionality. Statements need to be interpreted the way the author intended them to otherwise the meaning is lost and can even lead to dangerous misunderstandings. Ellen White herself as a girl felt very afraid of God and resented Him as a result of hearing sermons all her life which misinterpreted God’s message and character. Her motivation in following God shifted from one of fear to love after she had some dreams from God revealing His love for her and also by talking to a spiritual elder by the name of Levi Stockman.
From her childhood Ellen White suffered with very poor health, at times thinking she was dying. Going through many times of poverty with her husband and always striving to be the best wife and mother it is remarkable that she had any time or energy for ministry. What is even more amazing about this feeble lady is the amount of work she accomplished during her life under the most unfavourable circumstances. She wrote 100,000 pages of material. She is thought to be the third most translated author in history, the most translated female writer, and the most translated American author of either sex.
The mark of a divine calling was definitely visible in the life and ministry of Ellen White to those who knew her personally. The Bible records Jesus telling His disciples that, “By their fruits you shall know them.” Matthew 7:20. Not only was God’s enabling power clearly manifested in Ellen White’s life but His character shone bright through her.
Is Ellen G. White inspired like Peter, Paul, or John?
I have greatly enjoyed both class discussion and readings so far, and the following is my personal reflections on what I’ve learned, experienced, and questions I am struggling with. First, I am thankful for a holistic view of Spirit of Prophecy that includes the life and ministry of Ellen White, but also includes the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit, the apostles and prophets of both Old and New Testaments. Having seen from the Bible how rich and grand is the teaching and understanding of the Spirit of Prophecy, it has helped me to stay balanced and focused as a Christian and as a Seventh-day Adventist without going to an extreme in dismissing the life and ministry of Ellen White on the one hand, or going to an extreme literal interpretation of her writings as being on the same level as the Bible. Here also is where my first question surfaces. In class it was stated that Ellen White is an “extra biblical prophet” just like the prophet Nathan in the Old Testament, who’s writings are not included in the canon of Scripture. What is the biblical teaching and correct understanding of how “extra biblical prophets” are to be understood and interpreted in the light of existing revelation (i.e., Holy Scripture)? For example, if archaeologists were to one day discover writings that could be certified and validated as authentically written by the prophet “Nathan,” how would they compare to the rest of the canon of Scripture, and what level of authority would they have? In class it was stated that Ellen White’s writings, being part of God’s revelation in the church, are in some unique way “the Word of God”. Does that mean they have the same authority as the writings of Peter, Paul, and Jesus for modern Seventh-day Adventists?
Second, I have appreciated the knowledge and reminder that “prophets are not infallible” nor do they have perfect understanding. In other words, perfection of infallibility is not a proof or test of a prophet. After having passed the four tests of a biblical prophet (#1, Has a Christ-centered Message – 1 John 4:1-3; #2, To the Law and to the Testimony – Isaiah 8:20; #3, What they say will come to pass – Deut. 18:22; #4, Character – Matt. 7:20) and having been evaluated by the community of faith, a biblical prophet does not need to present credentials of infallibility. I am glad to have discovered and understood this important point, because it will save people a lot of heartache in the long run. If only we would read and believe what the Bible says: Only God is infallible! (1 Tim. 1:17) If the Bible is true in stating that biblical prophets are not infallible, then I believe more people would believe in God’s true prophets and messengers like Ellen G. White.
Thirdly, I have been challenged by the reading of John 5:39-40: “The Scriptures testify of Me (Jesus), yet you refuse to come to Me, that you may have life!” The Holy Scriptures are a Testimony of Jesus whose purpose includes bringing us to Jesus Christ so that we may experience life through Him. I am troubled and challenged in seeing that clear objective not apparent and visible every time one enters into a Bible study or dialogue upon biblical passages. Jesus is the center of the Bible, and if one fails in having a worshipful encounter with him every time one opens the Bible, then one has become just like the Pharisees of Jesus Day. That is why, I appreciate the herald and cry to be a prophetic message that is Christ-centered, Biblical, and relevant in the world in which we live. A question I am struggling with is, “Since the prophetic ministry of Ellen White is already Christ-centered, Biblical, and relevant to the world in which we now live, what are some creative and unexpected ways to share her life, ministry, and message with a world that is so concerned with the present, that we have to care for the past nor the future?
Student:Geraldine ONeal Class:The Life and Ministry Of E.G.White Instructor:Dr.M.Hanna Date: July 30, 2007
Reflections From Section V
MESSENGER OF THE LORD
By Herbert E. Douglass
For years skeptics and critics have debated the reliability of the Bible. In this section the author points out that the cohesiveness and inner coherence of the truth is the mark of authenticity. The author states that to take a doctrine and add unscriptural interpretation causes other doctrines to be affected as well. We are admonished to prayerfully study, and Isaiah 28:10 outlines the method: For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little. God in love does not force the will he offers us the scripture, His word as our only safeguard from error. Rejection of truth gives the arch deceiver access to the mind for him to heap upon it all types of deception. A warning is given in scripture when the heart is hardened because of rebellion.
2 Thess:9-12 shows Satan coming with all power and lying wonders, and deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie that they may be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
A total of 16 controversial issues were discussed whereby twin truths are joined. The first is the relationship between Christ’s work on the cross and the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is acting in the plan of salvation but not separate and apart from Jesus, who is the sacrifice for sin. The Holy Spirit regenerates and puts into effect the sacrificial work of Christ upon the hearts of men. The shed blood of Jesus cleanses from every defilement but without the Holy Spirit we can do nothing. We could not even get a prayer through without him because he takes our feeble prayers and transforms them into the language of heaven since we know not what to pray for as we ought. Rom. 8:26.
One chapter deals with the blessings of the Health message, the right arm of the gospel. There is also another side, perhaps the left arm which involves a fanatical twist and condemnation of others who do not likewise. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. This should be our motivation and rule in teaching what is allowed or not allowed.
"Appetite"
Evil all started with a condition called appetite,
Plunging this whole world into a terrible plight;
Perfect harmony existed until along came sin,
With uncontrolled passions raging from within.
Some inner cravings are satisfied with foods,
Stimulants from foods cause certain moods;
Moods that are uncontrolled lead one to fuss and fight,
It becomes a chained reaction brought on by appetite.
Uncontrolled passions and appetite are manifested in other ways,
Lust, anger, greed, murder, just to name a few of what the Bible says;
Jesus alone can satisfy the longing of any person’s heart,
Prayer and fasting can drive away the passions and give you a brand newstART (Prov. 23:2)
Geraldine C. O’Neal © 1999.
With the health message, and God knowing exactly what we need, our institutions teach the use of (Eight Laws Of Nature) with the acronym NEWSTART
Nutrition
Exercise
Water
Sunshine
Temperance
Air
Rest
Trust In Divine Power
as natural remedies of healing. To God Be The Glory!
I am thankful for a loving and merciful God who in compassion gave additional light to make difficult things in scripture clear. I so appreciate this study of the life of God’s chosen messenger and the sacrifices that she and her family made for truth.
The mix - Visions, Environment, Feasts
Ellen White had remarkable physical manifestations of her prophetic gift when she was in vision. Her supernatural antics silenced many critics of her time, however, it should be noted that they are not the sole basis of testing a true prophet. Although supernatural phenomena often accompany a vision, Satan can also perform things which can fool someone into accepting a false prophet. Exodus records the prophets and magicians of Egypt being able to ‘replicate’ some of the miracles God wrought through the prophet Moses.
Although Ellen White when in vision, felt at times that she was taken out of this world and given glimpses of heaven she did not claim to have an out of body experience or undergo a transcendental astro-travel. She was very adamant in her view of the non-immortality of the soul that the soul cannot have any conscious existence without the body. Her visions were characteristic of God coming down to the human with a message like in the case of Daniel and John the Revelator and not a prophet going to heaven to bring a message down to earth characteristic of the prophet Mohammed.
Prophets grow in grace and knowledge like all other believers. By examining Ellen White’s theological growth we can gain a better understanding of Biblical prophets. Ellen White was no different to John the Baptist or Peter who at times misunderstood the message they were to proclaim as well as their mission as prophets. Ellen White had many incorrect understandings on matters of doctrine and lifestyle which were corrected during the course of her ministry. This was done after study of the scriptures and collaborating with her fellow Bible students. These included her husband and Joseph Bates which along with her founded the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church. The Lord often confirmed what was already studied through her. At times Ellen White’s view was not the one that was confirmed but the findings of someone else were. Consequently she had to correct her views and humbly let everyone know what the Lord had shown her.
We can draw some lessons from this in our own personal lives. Often times Christians expect the Lord to reveal His will or give us a correct understanding on an issue without doing any study of the Bible first. The Lord has revealed many things in the Bible which we as Christians have access to and should not need God to repeat what He has already revealed. We should always ask the Holy Spirit to guide us as we open the word and reveal to us the answers to the questions we have. If after careful study of it we do not find the answers we are looking for we need to ask God to reveal it to us in His time and wait patiently for it. We also need to examine our lives and see if there is anything that stands in the way of God speaking to us on a particular issue. Perhaps we are willfully violating a principle in our lives and He is waiting for us to fully surrender to Him before He reveals any more truth.
The lecturer made some very good points this week which I was thankful for. The message of the SDA church has always been a message that seeks to reveal the God of creation. This is why the Sabbath is so precious to us. This message is a holistic message covering areas of doctrine, lifestyle as well as our relation to the planet. Christians have long neglected the planet and continue to promote many detrimental practices which must surely sadden the God of creation. We as SDA’s should be foremost in the environmental scene and bring people to a relationship with the one and true God. Negligence in this area cannot be excused if we claim to be the heralds of the 3 Angel’s messages of Revelation 14.
On a separate point, there was a lot of discussion this week on the moral and ceremonial laws. Colossians 2:14 has the Greek word for dogma after the word ‘handwriting’. Perhaps what was said in class resulted from an oversight in the exegesis of this text. SDA’s need not fear v.16 as it can be shown that it a fulfillment of Hosea 2:11 and is in chiastic form where ‘Sabbaths’ corresponds with ‘feasts’.
Should People Be Baptized into the SDA Church Who Are Not Aware of the Prophetic Ministry of Ellen G. White?
Reflecting on the previous week’s class experience, I have benefited and grown by the following points of class discussion. First, I have learned by struggling and wrestling with the idea that Ellen G. White is a prophet to the remnant church. While her messages are relevant for everyone (non-Seventh-day Adventists), in a special way for Seventh-day Adventists, she is a prophetess. Since from the church’s inception, Seventh-day Adventists have evaluated her ministry and have recognized her as a prophetess, her messages are relevant and important for all Seventh-day Adventists. In the modern and pluralistic world of the twenty-first century of today, this raises some important questions for those individuals who seek to join the mission and membership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Do potential and prospective church members need to have a full understanding and acceptance of the life and ministry of Ellen G. White as a “prophet of the Lord” before being allowed into church membership? Should potential church members be accepted into church membership through profession of faith or “baptism” without having a “mature understanding of Adventism” or being informed of the existence of Ellen White’s ministry within the Seventh-day Adventist Church? I believe it is not only unfair, but also deceptive to accept people into the membership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church without at least teaching them about spiritual gifts and the ministry of Ellen G. White in the Seventh-day Adventist Church as a prophetess. I have benefited from the discussions in class, and have been challenged in teaching and informing prospective church members before encouraging them to be baptized into the mission and membership of the SDA Church of the existence and ministry of Ellen White as a prophet of God. Secondly, I have benefit and grown from the class discussion on God’s ideal for the remnant church. In class it was shared how God’s purpose has never been to produce a “perfect institution,” but a spiritual movement. In view of the fact that there exist differences in worship style and differences in non-salvation beliefs within the SDA Church, and in view that Christ’s coming is soon, I have greatly appreciated this important point about “God desiring a spiritual movement versus a perfect institutional church” as humanity nears the end of time. I have honestly been challenged by those that while they do not out rightly claim that the Seventh-day Adventist Church has become Babylon and has apostatized from God’s truth, still claim that God must raise up a “purified and perfect” remnant church. Our class discussion on this important matter has given me “food for thought” as I contemplate God purpose for his remnant church. Thirdly, the discussion on the “judgment” and on the “heavenly sanctuary” has helped me to see God’s judgment and God’s sequence of judging mankind in a new and different way. While it is true that God has been judging mankind since the days of Noah’s flood, in a special way, He began the judgment of the living in 1844 A.D. Some have been scared into the Kingdom by, what I believe are erroneous views of the judgment of the living. I have grown in my understanding of God’s judgment as a judgment “on our behalf” and for “our sake”. 1844 A.D., and the “message of the hour of God’s judgment,” have helped me see more of Christ and his love by showing that God is not a God who rushes into judgment, but is a Judge who is fair and willing that none should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Fourthly and finally, I have both struggled and been enriched by discovering that in Galatians, Romans, and all of the Bible, God’s Law (Torah), which includes the moral, ceremonial, and natural law, all are a “school master” to lead us to Christ (Gal. 3:21-22). Since the purpose of the Law is to lead us to Christ, then God’s Law, moral, natural, and ceremonial must still exist to help lead individuals to Jesus Christ. The relationship of the Christian to the Law is one of recognition and observance as rules, guidelines, and principles that help individuals benefit from the gifts that God has given every one of His sons and daughters in Jesus Christ. With this new understanding of the “law” as a schoolmaster to lead one to Christ, I have been reevaluating whether the Jewish Feasts and Festivals might still have some significance for Seventh-day Adventist Christians, or if the entire “ceremonial law” (including the Jewish Festivals and holy days) have ceased to have any function at all for Christians. Not in a legalistic sense, but instead as spiritual markers to lead us to Christ.
Can God’s Remnant Church Apostatize?
I have been enjoying and benefiting from our class discussions and readings thus far. Here are the points in our discussion last week and reading, that I have found most challenging and helpful. First, I have benefited from being reminded how God has led his spiritual people in the past and in the present. For instance, God’s ideal for his chosen people Israel in the Old Testament was not always achieved. Sometimes he had to work with the “hardness of people’s hearts.” I especially found helpful the diagram and historical picture of how God has led his people in the past. He called Israel, out of the nations, then Christians out of Israel, then Protestant Reformers out of Christianity, and in these “last days” has called the Seventh-day Adventist Church from Protestant Christianity. What I appreciated about our class discussion was the point that “It is not impossible for the Remnant to apostatize.” I have struggled with that idea before, but likewise believe that God is not calling for a new institution, but instead is calling for a “spiritual coming out, and not a new institutional coming out,” as some have suggested. The textbook highlights how since the inception of the organized Seventh-day Adventist Church, there have been individuals who have accused the Seventh-day Adventist Church of apostasy and of becoming “Babylon.” Yet Ellen G. White defended the organized Seventh-day Adventist Church, of which she was a member all of her life, while not denying that the church “could apostatize.” I believe that God wants a spiritual reformation to take place in his organized remnant church, and does not call for a new institution. Staying on the theme of calling the church “Babylon,” I was likewise challenged to hear that denying the church’s responsibility to voice concerns for the social issues of our day, are likewise “signs of Babylon, just as much as Sunday-keeping” is. I think that as a church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has focused more on preaching the message of Christ’s soon coming, and not focused or emphasized the social issues that the church and people are dealing with today. The church and its theology have focused more on the life to come, than on the present earthly life. As a church, its pastors, teachers, and members need to give more attention to the social issues our world is facing. Finally, I have been challenged by the discussions in class on the authority of the moral, ceremonial, and natural law in the life of a Christian. These discussions have led me to go back and study those biblical passages that mention the “blotting out of the handwriting against us” (Col 2:14-16), “abolishing … the enmity contained in commandments and ordinances” (Eph. 2:14-15), and other key passages (Rom. 3:31; 14:7-12; Gal. 2:23-25). Traditionally, Seventh-day Adventists have made arguments in favor of the validity of the moral law by distinguishing it from the ceremonial law. They have tried to show that the ceremonial law pointed to the death of Jesus the Christ, and that at the cross, the ceremonial law ceased to have the same function as before. The interpretation in class as to texts that speak on “abolishing the enmity contained in commandments” and “blotting out the handwriting against us,” has been helpful in seeing an alternative interpretation and way in which Christians can believe in the continuing authority and validity of God’s moral law, without having to turn to the traditional ceremonial versus moral law argument. The record of the sins each person has individually broken being nailed to the cross and taken away, avoids the ceremonial versus moral law argument. This alternative interpretation does not seek to avoid the clear distinctions that exist in the Bible between the ceremonial and moral law of God, but instead seeks to avoid being accused of creating a false “dichotomy” between God’s moral and ceremonial law, which have always functioned to lead sinners to Christ.
Class Experience and Reading, # 2
How to become prophet?
By Josue Manigat
The life of Ellen W. as a prophetess contributes in my Bible understanding in many areas. First, it is a question, does someone born prophet or does he or she receive a call at a certain moment? The second question is about the age, who the youngest prophet claimed in the Bible? And then, when God calls someone to be a prophet, does this person stay prophet until deaf or when the mission is accomplished? In the same time, as an extra biblical prophet, the life of Ellen W. appears to me different of those I have studied in the context of Biblical learning. At least three important dimensions make her life very unusual to my understanding: her commitment in the society matter; her social or cultural position in such area as racial discrimination and war; and her profession of a prophet seem too much similar with her mission as a prophetess insomuch it look some time difficult to make a difference between her profession and her call to be a prophet. .
The unbelievable visions of Ellen W. in her life as a prophetess surprise me. More than 2000 visions in her entire life are very numerous. I understand in the context, God willed to drive His people carefully to a new understanding of the second coming; I understand also that too much confusion had been occurring in that time, therefore, God gives clear messages to help His people to be an helpful witness to the world; but I have hard time to admit that one people can receive so many visions. In this context, it is easy to ask if Ellen W had time for family, creation time, and others. I believe yes because in the class and the book also report so. But another question how much time did Ellen W. set apart fort spiritual matters and social matters? Or could Ellen W’s life be fulfilled as a total dedication to God’s work like the John the Baptist was? It would be amazing to study these questions more closely.
The second point is about the age to be prophet. The Bible witnesses that Jeremiah was called when he was very young (at seventeen age, I remember). But, God told him, before you born, I consecrated you. Could someone say that Jeremiah born prophet? In fact, when someone is calling to be prophet for God? When God needs him or her in a specific time or at his or her birth? Consequently when someone ceases to be a prophet? I am wondering what the Bible says about it.
The third idea is on the commitment of Ellen W. in the evolution of the society in the same time in the life of individuals. It looks for me that Ellen W. filled concerned by too many details occurring in our society. Look the Civil War, why God felt obliged to give her a vision on that situation? The same question may be asked for the social and racial discrimination that faced black people in this time. Could some one mention that Ellen W. was perceived as the conscience of SDA believers at that time without being wrong?
The fourth point concerns the profession of Ellen W. As a citizen, what was the profession of Ellen W.? Was she a writer; a freelance writer in relation to SDA organization? Which part of her writings is secular? Which part is sacred? Do we find a Bible example in the Bible or does Ellen W. appears as exception? The only resemblance I have seen in the Bible is about Daniel. As a prophet, he worked in the court of Babylon as politician, or an adviser.
By asking so many questions, I have discovered that to be a prophet, it is not to be busy only in the spiritual matter. God calls His prophets according to the need of their times. It is also true that God calls his people to make not only known His words and His will but also to make His words and His will relevant to the our present situation according to the way the people are living. Am I wrong?
Class and Reading experience
# 3
Centralization in Adventism movement
At the page 183, on the bottom, the author declares that, according to Ellen White, personal religion and organized religion are two sides of a coin that we call “the church”. The understanding of the last readings shows, or convinces me that our pioneer had put too much energy to centralize organization, and beliefs of Adventist movement. It might be that Adventism being so conservative, some one could say legalistic, inherits this from millerite movement.
It comes to see how difficult the beginning of SDA movement was. There was the tendency to centralize all institutions in a same place, even there was the tendency to centralize the power among some people who believed that they were only those capable to put award the movement. There was also a tendency to centralize the message on a particular point. It is amazing to see how God has worked through time and Ellen White, and others toward a decentralization of the movement.
This is understood because millerite movement that SDA inherits failed in a kind of closed circuit. I perceive the door close as a kind of exclusivism. Why could have they believed those outside of America, and outside of Millerite movement could have not been saved? It is amazing to see how Adventism inherits this thinking in their organization and in their beliefs. Through this book readings and SDA history, we have discovered how difficult for the prophet to convince people our first leaders the necessity and the wholesomeness to spread the institution in different town and different countries.
Today’s again, it is not impossible to find some residue of the centralization thinking in Adventist behavior. Without getting in details, we want just to mention some such as we believe that we only are God people. Even here, in a university doing a master, it is difficult to thing that God is leading also other religions as He is leading us. I did not omit that God lead SDA in a certain and particular way for a particular purpose. It is also true that God is care about other religions. In others, we can see how we centralize the salvation that God offers to us. Behold, for some, the vegetarianism is the most important thing that must be kept and preached in our churches; for others, the Sabbath is the culminating object of salvation; for others, the fait is the faith only think key element of salvation, yes, faith without love; concerning your youth, the master must be praising God; and so on.
This kind of beliefs might drive us not to be open; to refuse more light that may want to give us. In Luke 16:12, Jesus reproached His disciples not to be ready to receive other teachings that He desired to teach them. Could it be that God would tell us more if we were more open, less self-confidence, more humble? Through the last day’s discussion in the class concerning the abolition of the law on the cross, one can see, even, we proclaim the Bible, and the Bible only, but we are more focusing in the New Testament area. It is important to give up some resistance and let God speak to us in the beginning of this new century.
Class Experience and Reading, #1
Prophet in his or her time: Ellen
White as an illustration
By Josue Manigat
Ellen G. W., as a prophet, is a confirmation that God meets people where they are. From a kind of disorder social situation such confusion after the great disappointment, God people were so frustrated that God came to them by revealing Himself through the one who looks the less to perform the revelation of God. Is Ellen a prophet is not the question. The question is about demonstration that Ellen G White was a true prophet. How to de be convinced that Ellen G White is a real prophet of God?
By trying this question, I have learned at least four things in the class and thought the readings. Those things turn about how to recognize a biblical prophet. Second, the prophet is a reflection of his historical cultural background. Third, Ellen G W as a prophet identified by SDA Churches has deliberately chosen to take some distance from the Structural SDA Organization. Four, prophets can make mistakes. Those things help me to understand the way that God works to meet people and to enlighten them according to their need.
1- Ellen G White as a prophet is a big and a huge discussion among SDA and other religious group. Questioning about the relevance of prophet is not only occurred in our times. Even Christ is pointed out about His true messiah. I am so happy that the Bible has made provision concerning how to teach and to recognize a real prophet that God sent to us. Without getting in some details, true prophets have some physical and biblical characteristics. Ellen. G. W. has fulfilled all those biblical expectations. The most ideal that rejoices me much appears is the teaching that the true prophet must be both biblical and relevant in his time. In this view, Elle G W must be perceived as a champion.
2- Ellen G. W. reflects her history time. Not only she talked about but also, she felt concerned, and some time, she took public position by enouncing the word of God as the mean line that society must follow. In her time, some social changes had been made. In social developments, such particular attentions had been focusing; just thinking about racial problems; slavery discrimination; vegetarianism, war and personal preoccupations as getting better heath, and so on. In these turning social situations, Ellen G. W. must have taken position, and raise the voice of God as the divine way for humanity.
3- Identified as a prophet, the life of Ellen G. W. was so simple. As a person in whom God has worked. Witnessing about her commitment with others, one could say she was most of the time impressed by Holy Spirit. This occurred even in bad as in good time. Even, she was a prophet, and behaved like that; her common life was similar as anyone else. She had to work hardly; she was sick most of time; some time, she was upset, and so on. But in all circumstances, they might say any wrong about her public life. She was in spectacle among men and women of this word, and she used always to show the grace of God in her daily involvement.
4- Did Ellen G. W. sin? Of course, she was a person. Everyone sins. Did she do some mistakes? Oh yes, she did. Once again, this teaches me that people, even chosen by Go, can make mistakes. But those who are really chosen by God repent of their mistakes and abandon them. Then they dream for a revival. This means so well the way that Ellen G. W. lived.
Ragnheidur Olafsdottir(Lala)
Reflection paper nr.1
Sola Scriptura and EGW as a bonus!!
I must say that these few classes that we have already had, have indeed been very interesting. As for me, not being raised up in a Christian home or as an Adventist and therefore not having had the privilege of knowing Ellen White´s writings until about 11 years ago, then I must say it has been indeed a treat for me to absorb some of her written work through those recent years. Yet while I have been reading some of her books, many questions have awakened within. I feel that some of my questions are already started to being answered by listening to the lectures and reading the book required for this class.
Also before this class I had taken SDA lifestyle taught by prof. George Knight last summer and that also helped me a lot in understanding that EGW was as much a human being with her personal needs as a God´s child with a special prophetic role to undertake.
I do wish that before I started reading her books some years ago, I would have had the privilege of understanding some theological issues concerning her prophetic role because I feel that could have spared me some moments of doubt and perhaps given me a different view into her writings at that time.
However, being such a new Christian and a new Adventist, a strange thing always seemed to happen when I read her work....yes, I became more enthusiastic about reading the Bible itself..it was somehow as EGW was pointing me (through her writings) to see it for myself in the Scriptures...yes, many points that I had missed in the Bible, she pointed out...and it was a revelation to me each time.
However through my journey of faith I have struggled with the thought that we should only read the Bible and the Bible only...And I have procrastinated to read a lot of her books since I felt it would confuse me or distract me. However during these past few years I have come to a different conclusion....her writings never seem to distract me, on the contrary to they make me more enthusiastic about God´s Word.
That is why I greatly appreciate this course because it not only educates me about the person EGW but also it reflects her Godly role and how it can be seen through Scripture.
And the words found in 1.Cor 14.22 have helped me to understand that EGW has fulfilled that role in my life, that is that prophets are supposed to “serve those who believe” so that they will understand the Word of God more fully.
And during these last lectures I have enjoyed listening and grasping the theological issues concerning how God chooses to reveal himself...and how one of these ways is through us “fallable” human beings, His Church on earth, and there included are the prophets such as EGW who point us constantly towards the Word of God.
I did appreciate the statement given in class that we should not look for a perfect nature in the prophets...and a good example of that could be, for instance, Jonah.
And more statements that remind us of how we are to discern who is true and not... Jesus said “by their fruits” we shall know them.
Yes, the Word of God can easily show us what to trust and what not to trust.... “To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them”.Isaiah 8:20 and many more passages found in Scripture.
By reading some of the chapters in the book The Messenger of the Lord, I could identify with a lot in EGW life and it has indeed made me a bit calmer these last days. To be more precise , then while reading about how EGW constantly had to balance being a mother and a wife and then at the same time God´s messenger, then I realized that this is something I have been struggling with as well, not that I would say that I was a Messenger of the Lord, but I feel like I am called like many to serve the Lord and to declare His praises and often I meet a lot of hindrances as a woman and a mother in that area. It most certainly is a great encouragement for women in ministry to read about EGW life. I do believe that during these next weeks many of us, will be enlightened and strenghtened as we discover how God chose EGW as a special instrument to point the rest of us to His Word, and how we all can be an instrument for God if we are led by HIS SPIRIT.
Another discussion I enjoyed a lot in one of the lectures was about the Remnant Church and how the Spirit of God is awakening people in many areas even though they are not a part of the General Conference Church to bring about God´s work in this world. This has been my own experience and I am convinced that God will use those who love his Word and His Law to finish the work here on earth and they will be called the Remnant of His Kingdom on earth.
May God bless us to read and understand His Word.!
Ragnheidur Olafsdottir
Reflection paper nr.2
Let us teach holistic thinking, and just then, people will feast on the Bible.
Going through last weeks discussion in class and the reading materials, I feel that God is opening up new things to me.
By reading about EGW life , what others said about her and the information we have about her personal letters, I have been able to identify with so much. And I quess what most pastors or those who give their service to the Lord experience every now and then is that they feel like no one else is going through what they are going through.
In the reading materials I found helpful to see that EGW was often discouraged, not that it would make me happy to see that she was, but the fact that even though she was a prophetess she also had her moments when she could feel Satan attacking her. And it is true that we can identify ourselves with those who have experienced what we are experiencing. Even Jesus had to go through life the way we do and therefore we can surely identify ourselves with him.
I also found the discussion helpful about how sensitive we must be when we interpret EGW writings and how indeed it is important to know much about her culture and the time issues in her life and while keeping that in mind we should also apply the same principle to the Bible. It seems that we miss out on so much if we do not do this. We can for instance not be drawn to the message if we do not understand in what context it is written or given for.
For instance it seems that in EGW time, Christians practised more of an open discussion of things in the churches, a kind of debate style. And when we read about it some 100 years later we find it kind of strange to see that EGW addressed many things openly in people´s personal lives.
But if we look at the context then we can see that in this era , the Church chose to speak openly about certain matters and though the Christian Church in general doesn´t practise that much nowadays it doesn´t make it wrong or right that they chose to do it then.
I have also found it helpful when the discussion in class has led us to think about whether things are not always black or white, that there are many things to take into consideration, both in EGW writings and lifestyle and also when we read the Bible. And the Dr.Hanna has made it clear to us that sometimes both sides do have a certain truth in them and also therefore, something wrong in them as well.
We find many things strange in the Bible as well, and that may be because we do not understand the culture of that time and also that we come from a totally different background and we feel that our lifestyle and background makes sense to us.
In one session, Dr.Hanna spoke about the role of a prophet and the role of the pastor...that it is not enough to put general principles out there or to put some doctrines out there and expect that people will grasp them. We also have to care for the people and help them grow and understand what the doctrines or the principles are all about. This is something I think would help the church body enormously , that is, if pastors and those who lead would keep in mind that most of the time they are speaking to an audience that doesn´t read the Bible on a regular basis and therefore they must take the time to explain all things. The fact is that many of the Christians are now in a Laodicean state and perhaps they do need someone who cares about their understanding of the written Word and like the professor said in class, we have to sit down with them and feast on the Bible.
Perhaps sometimes pastors and leaders try so hard to reach the multitude that they forget to pay attention to the souls that are hungry for a more deeper level of study in the churches.
And the discussion about how afraid Christians sometimes are, to let the Holy Spirit speak to them. Many have missed out on the great principles in EGW writings because they themselves simply cannot see what principles she or the Bible is trying to get through to humanity.
And this discussion leads us to understand so many things the Bible wants to teach us , such as the covenant and the law, for the law is not an end to itself. And I believe that pastors and the church in general have not emphasized enough, not nearly enough on the fact that they teach the law of God but they don´t teach people the principles of the law. And in general we are not taught to “love the law” for what it stands for, therefore there are many Christians who carry the law as a burden and they also carry EGW written work as a burden, because they find her writings to be strict and they do not understand the context of her writing anymore than many understand the context of the Bible at times.
However, we are all learners, students of the gospel and therefore we can often be discouraged when we are on our religious walk.
That is why when taken in consideration all the complications of reading the Bible and coming to an understanding of God, we should find EGW writings to be helpful, but her work will never “truly help us” unless we understand where she is coming from and what her role is in general.
That is why I have been so blessed by listening and observing the material requested. I know I will have a wonderful time reading EGW written work in the future along with my Bible, because I find that EGW always points us to our ruler of faith which is the Bible.
Ragnheidur Olafsdottir
Reflection paper nr.3
If we don´t understand...we should wait for God to enlighten us,
Instead of walking away!!
During this last week´s discussing in class, my eyes have been opened to even more truth. Dr.Hanna´s explanation of the ceremonial law and the moral law has been a eye opener for me.
Of course nothing in the Bible is useless, yet we are always trying to simplify all things. People try to “do away with “ so many things just because they do not understand something. This should be a grave lesson for us to consider concerning our own present and future. Much of our attempts to simplify and therefore distort the truth is probably because we have dwarfed our thinking like EGW says we have. We become mental dwarfs when we do not consider God´s real character and his genuine nature. When we do not seek to understand those things that are “not in focus” for us, we become so discouraged and even forget to seek God like never before. And sometimes, like in the life of Daniel the prophet, the message was not for HIM to understand. Yes, we have to become humble in everyway, as to what God is doing on a universal scale and in history.
It was wonderful to study and see that the very Jesus Christ that created this earth and all there is, also gave the ceremonial law...(and the ten commandments = The Moral law) and why should He have to abolish anything He has made. Jesus came to fulfill and with that understanding in mind we would do much better and travel a much safer journey in our understanding of the truth if we would admit that our understanding has not always received it´s full light. It seems to me that Ellen White didn´t have it all made concerning this at first.....but she had to research and study, and so she did. She didn´t settle for an easy way out in understanding the truth. And the result was that she gained an understanding , both from her visions as well as from her studies. Ellen White´s method of research obviously was that the Bible had so much more to say than men can at all times understand. She based her methods of research on a Christ centered truth and I found it beautiful in the text book “Messenger of the Lord! when she was quoted saying; “only the mind and heart cleansed by the sanctification of the Spirit can discern heavenly things”. Ellen White clearly knew what she was talking about...her method was not only to gather information, but to give her heart to Jesus Christ as well. And while reading about EGW concerning the Ellipse of Truth, I was enormously blessed by all the theological insights she gained in her studies. And I find that very logical that God can entrust such people with the truth, those who earnestly seek Him and are yearning for a clean heart. Therefore such people would love the law, because the truth of God is always consistent with one another. And when we love the law , we love God because the law describes the very nature of God. Yet, it is obvious that EGW was not always right on each issue, but she had a humble heart and could admit that a light had not been given to her in this and that area. But that didn´t always make her sit and wait for a revelation. She understood how important time was for her and her life...a lot of work had to be accomplished and she knew that God had chosen her for a special purpose. Therefore human aspects often did not come together with her special calling, she probably sometimes longed to be just human, to be tired and to be at peace. Very much like Jesus, and very much like everyone of us who are called to serve in the field...we sometimes become very human and yet we know that we could never continue our lives in any other way but to respond to the calling of Christ. And EGW understood that her work was for the benefit of all believers who loved to seek God´s truth. She knew her work would bring them comfort because it was of God and not of Men. I have been truly blessed by taking this course...and I feel that Dr.Hanna has given us so much to think about and work with and I am so grateful for the fact that Dr.Hanna has let God work through him in order for us , the other ones, to be blessed.
I believe, that such is the true Spirit of Christ, to be taught by God in order to teach others as well.
Lords blessings to you Dr.Hanna and your family,
May God continue to use you to bless others with your understanding and wonderful insights into the word of God.
Sincerely,
Ragnheidur Olafsdottir
Allens Gilles
GSEM 532
Prof. Martin Hanna
07-31-2007
Week four
One of the most difficult challenges for a writer is to be able to embrace a theme without loosing the main focus in the plurality of topics. Ellen White various writings was centered on the Great Controversy theme. Primarily her theology and other major doctrines that could be entailed were based on this theme. In this reflection paper I will try to present how the prophetic ministry of Ellen White is the foundation led to the development of Seventh Day Adventist institutions. These institutions are in reality the outcome of the great controversy theme and part of God’s Plan.
Education institution and health institution are the two main pillars whereby the seventh Day Adventist church is known around the world. The practice of the health principles and all that it involves, is not a mere habit adopted by this group of Christian believers. Unlike other denominations; seventh day Adventist is unique in its approach correlating the physical wellness and the spiritual salvation. The reason why, is because of the great controversy theme and also the relevant of our message to the world. A seventh day Adventist believer needs to be prepared in all aspect of life in order to help himself and neighborhood. As did Jesus when he was on earth healing people from their diseases and consequently restored the image of his father in men. God’s love for us is not only to give us eternal life but also to prevent us to suffer from the consequences of Sin. Ellen White vision on Health aimed to the same purpose of God’s love: physical and spiritual restoration. So when I am talking to somebody about health principle I see myself showing to others the love of God.
Other important matter that Ellen White revealed in the Great Controversy conflict is the human contribution in allying with the enemy. Whenever a human being accepts Satan schemes we invite him to become our master and thus be partaker of his army against God in his children. Jesus in His ministry on earth called his disciples the light of the world. Our mission as disciple is to dissipate the thick cloud darkness of this world in peril with the light of Christ. To do so, we need to be equipped in all sphere of life. And if we think that the enemy will let us work in his territory we are deceiving ourselves. It was not for the sake of being a good teacher that Jesus trained his disciple. It was for the purpose of a mission. It is the same for our educational institutions. To equip young people to be thinker and to be part of the great army that will overcome the devil and his followers with the all important truths.
The health message and the educational institutions are powerful tool to spread ones theology. They are among the most important institutions because a lot of responsibility is involved and required. The health message in particular came in a vey critical moment not only for the New seventh day Adventist organization but also for the entire world. The principles of the health message given to Ellen White in the 1863 vision still in vigor in our midst, is the result of a unity of doctrinal harmonious matters. Eventhouh, Seventh day Adventist Educational institutions prepare their students primarily for the kingdom to come does not diminish in the other hand the possibility of preparing good citizen that serve the country.
Allens Gilles
GSEM 532
Prof. Martin Hanna
07-30-2007
Week three
This paper is dealing with the different events that took place after the event of October 22nd 1844 until the establishment of the seventh day Adventist church. After Ellen G white received the vision in late December 1844 intended to encourage the faith of the believers she had to travel throughout the country to bring unity and work for the development of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. However the multiple efforts underwent by the White’s family encountered both encouragement and many obstacles.
It was not an easy task for Ellen White after 1844 to unite the different fractions of the Millerite movement especially when her ministry was based on spiritual vision. Not only that many people claim to have vision which was not quite appreciated for the fact that at that time vision was often attributed to spiritualistic seances of mesmerism . In addition, the Millerite believers were divided in three group characterized each by their understanding of the second coming of Christ. As God had not forsaken his people and because his message is always misinterpreted a testimony of the accuracy of the scripture needed to be presented in order to correct the erring of the Church and to unfold God’s plan for the future.
Ellen White message was heavily based on dreams and visions containing reproof and counsel. In several occasions either privately or in public she was supernaturally taken off in vision which was manly flashlight of the event. Many people testify of the genuineness and divine character of her visions. Even skeptics were converted after scrutiny verified and tested Ellen White on many aspects. Having said that, this spiritual gift did not place her in an infallible position. A prophet is a human being, just like Nathan told David to build the temple and afterward the Lord made him changed his way, Ellen white also had faced similar situation in her life time. Like we read in the book:” God has always selected the best for his purposes but only the best at that time. All prophets went through on the job training”.
From what I understand from this section, I believe that God allowed certain people to verify the accuracy and the authenticity of Ellen white vision and message just because he wanted us to take heed of the purpose for which he Called Her. Bible Study and following by the confirmation of the light of the vision characterized Ellen White approach. The same principle must the same today, the Bibl should be considered as the primarily source of God’s revelation for his Church. Today when we incline to decide on certain ambiguous matter we need to go back to the source and consult the light of God on that issue.
There are two issues presented in the book that are really helpful for me. The first one is the case of J.H. Kellogg, I have often heard seventh day Adventist complaining about our separation with Kellogg. I praise God for the prophetic ministry of Ellen White and the light she brought, revealing the character of the pantheistic theology of the late doctor. Without her intervention we don’t know what kind of God we would have been serving today. The other issue is with A.T Jones and E.J Waggoner, it happened that I often talk with former Seventh Day Adventist who are now become “Shepherd Rod”. Those people, for what I understand criticized the seventh day Adventist church for not accepting the doctrine of justification by faith presented in 1888 at the Minneapolis General Conference session. It is true that what they were presenting on justification by faith was biblical and thus encouraged by Ellen White but it is not wise to accept everything they said and turn it to be a separate entity. A.T Jones in particular accepted the pantheistic view of Kellogg. Ellen White prophetic ministry enabled the student of the Bible to disguise the true face of the pantheistic theology of Kellogg and the arrogant attitude of A.T Jones and E.G Waggoner pretending of being the scholar par excellence.
When E.G Danielle President of the General Conference confronted to the hot topic of Kellogg’s issue not knowing what to do, a letter form Ellen White helped him to take the right decision. I personally think that we need more than ever the counsel of the prophet in the way that our institutions are administering. The devil knows our weaknesses and how powerful we can be if we follow God’s plan, concurrently he sends his arrows on our leaders in order to bring disgrace and shame to the rest of the body. We need to be vigilant and not leave too much power in the hand of a little group of people that will decide for so many souls. As it was at the time of the Messenger, today is not exempted we need reform in our institutions and the Holy Spirit to guide us in his teachings.
Allens Gilles
GSEM 532
Prof. Martin Hanna
07-23-2007
Week two
This paper is intended to reflect primarily upon section ii of the book the messenger of the Lord. It is a book written by Herbert E. Douglas and focus on the prophetic ministry of Ellen G. White. Because of the significance of Ellen White writings and her various themes contributing for the enlightenment of the Seventh Day Adventist Belief a study of the person life remains undisputable.
Ellen White was born in Maine, the largest city of Portland on November 26th, 1827. Her father, Robert F. Harmon and her mother Eunice Gould Harmon raised her in a religious environment of a Methodist Church along with her two brothers and five sisters. At the age of 9 years old little Ellen was severely injured when a girl from her school threw a rock that smashed her face and make it impossible for her to continue her academic education. At the age of twelve she was converted to the Methodist faith and received baptism afterward. Although baptized she was still troubled by the fear of not being able to be ready when Jesus will come. She attended at the Millerite meeting and accepted their teaching. Just like the other Millerites she experienced the great disappointment; however unlike the others, in the late December 1844 while a group woman was praying God gave her vision. It was a vision that contained a called for a prophetic ministry of the one who will become the most translated American author. In August 1846, Ellen White married James White from whom she mothered four sons which two were prematurely dead
We saw in Ellen white, not only a real person, someone who knew how to laugh but also someone who had made people laugh. She was also an authentic counselor where young and adult could find salutary advices helping to the development of Christ character. In addition she was a kind mother and a courageous spouse who knew how to face financial hardship.
Every time I am looking at the life of Ellen White and how the Lord had used her so miraculously, I conclude that certainly every one is here on earth for a purpose and no matter what the devil can possible do, God is still in control. Her story and the tone of works that she had produced testify about the accuracy of God’s promises. Through her life I realize that no matter how weak and insignificant I may appear to human eyes as long as I rest on the shadow of the almighty I can be a witness for the Kingdom and a benefit for the society. As an example for the relevance of her work, I came from a country were the illiteracy rate is very high as a result the health condition is very critical. You can imagine how hard it is to transmit scientific evidence when listeners are not educated. Subsequently the counsel of Ellen White transmitted through the channel of the Seventh Day Adventist Church make the information of certain health principle accessible for the common believers just by coming to the church. We know about the department of health in the church and why is it for. We can take this example to a higher level when taking the case of Loma Linda University and others Seventh Day institutions that is spreading around the world.
I have never considered Ellen White as a perfect woman neither that I will, nevertheless one thing I have a very hard to admit is the fact that people criticizing the lady even to the point of denigration. I am aware of people who try to apply the writings of Ellen White as they will do for the Bible eventhouh she was always against such an attitude. However from someone whose academic education is not even worth a simple basic sentence and thus is able to produce valuable works this person deserves great consideration. If it is beyond human competence and comprehension, I have to put the emphasis somewhere else or on somebody else. As God is the only one that can do what we can’t understand therefore I conclude that the ministry of Ellen G. White came from God and I need to treat her writings differently. Many denominations would love to have someone like Ellen White and her prophetic ministry. Look at the Mormons for instance, their prophet was an immoral but yet they Mormonism is on of the growing religion in America. I think we need to read the life of Ellen White and try to understand what message the Lord wants us to learn from it.
"A Prophet In These Days"
This week I reflected on several things that have become so much clearer to me now that I've been in this class. I think along with myself, other Adventist have not eompleted the proper research to clearly understand the role of the Spirit of Prophecy in Scripture, the church and our lives.
One of the things that have become clearer to me is its role in Scripture. As mentioned in class, the only scripture that's used most of the time during service or an evangelistic series as evidence to support the face that the SDA church is the last day church to give a warnig to the world is Revelation 12:17, but as I have studied the other scriptures given in class to support the fact that the Spirit of Prophecy was given to the Angels (Rev. 22:8,9), to John on Patmos (Rev. 1:9,10), and dow to the church (Eph. 1:17,18) for the church to illuminate the world I no longer view it as something that ends with Ellen White. it ends with people who have given their hearts to Christ and live by faith in Hm through the indwelling Holy Spirit being a light in a dark place, and if the need arises God will raise another prophet up to do His will. I've never looked at or even thought abuot these scriptures in relation to the Spirit of Prophecy. Studying this subject thus far has revealed to me my lace of understanding of the scriptures on this important issue.
There was a time when I didn't believe that God would call a prophet in these days. I thought having prophets speak or exist was done away with after the book of Revleation was written. I guess in essence I thought the gift of prophecy was null and void although I have no scriptural support for it. As I have received a better understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit and His gifts in this class I understand more clearly why God chose to give this special gift to the church. I see that sense He illuminates the world through the many gifts He has given He needs vessels to bare His gifts and He is willing to use anyone who is willing to be the receiver of them--especially in such a time as this. I always knew there were extra-biblical prophets but because of unbelief I never saw a need to open my mind to realize that God would use a prophet in these days. Not just Ellen White but anyone who actually walked this earth in these days. When the Holy Spirit convinced me of the truth about the Spirit of Prophecy I realized the one reason I didn't believe when it was presente to me with the use of the scripture (Rev. 12:17) was because I thought of Ellen White as a common person like me or any other person walking this earth today and sense she was just like me I thought it impossible that god would use anyone of us to bare such a precious gift. I also realized that I was viewing the gift and bearer of it according to my standards and what I though God could, would or not use. Praise God the Holy Spirit has been given us!
Some other light I received from class was concerning the remnant, the institution and its function. As you knw from my question about off shoots of the SDA church I wondered how they fit in relation to the remnant and the institution. Understanding came as I understood who the remnant is. I saw that my view of the remnant was like some others who associate souls with the institution instead of with Christ who has died to save us. It is by having faith in Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit that makes one a part of the remnant. The church is a channel that God uses to proclaim His message to lead the world to Him not to the institution. Now I view the work of helping to win souls for His Kingdom in a different light. May God be pleased.
Kendrick N. Cid July 23, 2007
The Life and Ministry of EGW Professor: Martin Hanna
MY PERSONAL REFLECTIONS FOR WEEK 2
In 2 Corinthians 3:2 it says, “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men.” It seems that Paul likes to spiritualize certain things to express something meaningful. In 1 Corinthians 6:19, it says “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” Also, in 1 Corinthians 3:16, it says, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” 2 Corinthians 6:16 says the same thing, “For you are the temple of the living God.” Again, Paul spiritualizes the Temple in the Old Testament in order to drive home its meaning in our current context. This means to me that I then become Holy because God’s temple is Holy. God sanctifies. He makes things Holy. I have to have life lived before God.
As I brooded over this subject, I began to think that the entire Scriptures, Old and New Testaments is our sanctuary of truth that represent a body of instructions of how God deals with sinners, how sinners approach a Holy God-Creator, and how sinners are to respond to God. Could it be that the ceremonial systems even in our day continue to guide us and provide us with instructions with regards to living our lives before God through the ministry of Ellen G. White? In other words, the ceremonial systems are being fulfilled in the hearts of people by the Holy Spirit not only through the Bible but also through the inspired writings of Ellen G. White. They still apply in our lives in a spiritual sense.
Another thing I brooded over this week is about the fact that Ellen G. White had dreaded the thought of the second coming of Christ in the 1840s because of her feelings of unworthiness which were directly related to her belief in an eternally burning hell. This gives anybody the idea that God delights in the torture of His creatures. She was faced with a confusing contradiction. It made it harder on her to believe in a God who lowers Himself down in order to save sinners from their sin. As I brooded over this subject this week, it was important to realize that if there is no immortal soul, there can’t be an eternally burning hell. A theological reflection on the nature of man would readily give a straightforward answer to this question. Later on, I found out from the writings of Ellen G. White herself some fascinating information about the kind of life which was given Adam and Eve. I am absolutely fascinated by the fact that for man to possess an endless existence, man needs to eat of the tree of life. If man stopped eating from it, he would ultimately die. Ellen White also wrote in Evangelism: “The word of God is our sanctification and righteousness because it is spiritual food. To study it is to eat the leaves of the Tree of Life” (138). Which is why Jesus Christ Himself said, “The words that I speak to you are Spirit and they are life” (John. 6:63).
Ultimately, there is one thing that God wants to sanctify with His presence, with His truth, with His Word and that is the heart/mind of every human being. I got excited about the text discussed in class this week which was Haggai 2:7 where it talks about “the desire of all nations.” This person is Jesus Christ who is of course the covenant bringer. The covenant is that God will “put His law in their minds and write on their hearts . . . ” (Jeremiah 31:33). Hebrews 10:16 speak of the same thing. It is interesting that in Haggai, the Lord gives a series of commands: (a) “Consider your ways” (1:5) (b) “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house” (1:8) (c) “Be strong . . . and work: for I am with you” (2:4) (d) “And I will shake all nations and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts” (2:7). And in chapter two God knocks down their pride; they are still unclean. But God says He will bless them. He will be with them. He will overthrow their enemies. God’s servants will be chosen.
I believe that in 2:7 the phrase “this house” refers to the people of God. Since I am a temple of the Holy Spirit, I am that house. What a promise! How glorious. I must keep working then for God. Keep trusting, asking, and praying to Him.
I believe that it is to this end that the ministry of Ellen G. White comes into reality in my life. When it comes to the counsel of Ellen White on health matters and doctrinal matters, a life lived before God is the bottom line. I believe that the ultimate purpose of Ellen White and her writings and her counsels is to confront and urge us to live our lives before God in all areas of our lives (spiritually, physically, mentally, and socially). Unlike the biblical prophets, God uses another human being in such a mighty way, and although she is dead the message that God gives to us through her life, ministry and her voluminous writings are so relevant and that we still have a lot of catching up to do.
Linda Wooning 133325
Christ in the Father and vice versa
Although the lecture on the first day of class was very interesting, it was also somehow hard to grasp, at least for me, since it presented many ideas that were new to me. As Seventh-Day Adventists we believe in the concept of the Trinity, which for me is hard to understand. It goes beyond my understanding and imagination, so instead of trying to understand, I simply accept. I wrestle with the concept of the Holy Spirit, especially the verses found in John 14. It speaks that Christ is in the Father, and the Father in Christ. Furthermore, it speaks about the Comforter, that Christ has to go in order for the Comforter to come, and that because Christ is to leave we can do greater things than He did. (Does this mean that the Holy Spirit is more powerful?) Anyway, during the first lecture this concept was made clearer to my understanding.
1 Cur. 2:1, 2. “Declaring unto you the testimony of God... Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”
Rom. 16:25. “The preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery.”
Jesus Christ is the revelation of God; He came to reveal God to the world. It is the Father that sent Christ (see John 14:24).
Rev. 19:10. “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
According to 1 Cor. 12 there are different gifts of the Spirit, of which the gift of prophecy is one. It shows in the verses 7-11 that the Spirit has different ways to manifest itself. This is also stated in Revelation 1:4 (“seven spirits which are before his throne) and Isaiah 11:2 (different manifestations of the same Spirit). According to these verses, the testimony of Jesus is the Holy Spirit.
In conclusion to these points, Jesus Christ came to reveal God, the Father. The Holy Spirit came to reveal Jesus Christ to the world. Simply stated: God the Father --> God the Son
--> God the Holy Spirit.
To make this point more complex, or more fully interconnected, there are four revelations, or testimonies of God:
- Christ is the revelation of God
- Testimony of Jesus which is the Spirit of Prophecy is manifested in Scripture
- Church is revelation of God
- Cosmos (all creation) is revelation of God
It is all interconnected and making a perfect circle of God’s revelation.
Another interesting point comes from this weeks reading. Too many Seventh-day Adventists in the Netherlands, for whatever reason, do not read the books of Ellen White. The younger generations only hear the negative sounds from the older generation, therefore, they do not examine her writings themselves, to experience her rich writings herself. Section two of the book “The messenger of the Lord” was especially valuable in that aspect, because it shows an entirely different side of the life of Ellen White; it shows the woman behind the prophetess. Most people do not want to hear her messages or to be confronted with her writings. The interesting things I have read for this week will help me to show a different side of her, not only her “stern” side (which most people who are unfavorable of her, only look at), but her humor, her loving side, her caring side. Ellen White as mother, wife and all the other roles she fulfilled during her life.
Linda Wooning 133325
To kill or not to kill
Similar to the first week of class, the second week also presented many new ideas to me. We spoke about the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. Ancient Israel kept the letter of the law, but Jesus showed that the law goes deeper, He upheld a higher standard, pointing to the spirit of the law. However, as this subject was presented in class, it seemed somehow contradictory. “Thou shalt not kill” according to Exodus 20:13. The professor asked concerning this text, if it also applied to not killing bugs, animals. How about musquitos? But, as he continued, can we kill fellow human beings? He pointed out that we have to see this in the broader concept of the context. And yes, this has been troubling my mind for quite some time. Last weeks lecture brought it again to my mind. For if God asked (well, commanded actually) the Israelites not to kill, why did that same God tell that same people to kill the surrounding nations. Was it a mere exception from His own rule? Are rules (even eternal commandments which would be for ever and ever) changed according to events and within the context? Or are the rules not really rules but spiritual guidelines? (Theoretically, I know why the surrounding nations had to be killed. You don’t leave a rotten apple in with the good ones, for in doing so, all will be spoiled). But knowing and understanding is a different thing.
When I came home, I presented this matter to my husband, and asked him questions about the sixth commandment in a very difficult context. Suppose thiefs brake in your house and your family is sleeping, they brutally awake your wife (that would be me) and try to rape her, what would you do? Would you attack them in self-defense? Well, of course. But would you kill them, how far would you go? (Killing would not really be an option, for how would you do this? Not like there is a gun in the house or something.) Or should we apply Ellen White’s counsel to use our common sense here? Applying that would be to defend ourselves to whatever cost.
The spirit of the law goes so much deeper and beyond the letter of the law. Jesus said in Matthew 5:22, “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.” So, we already broke the spirit of the law when thiefs come in and we get angry. But, reading this, it says “without a cause”, obviously there is a cause when someone breaks in and harms your loved ones. Does this mean you are allowed to get angry when there is a cause? I guess so, Jesus got angry (angry with self-control!) when He saw how His Father’s house was defiled. Is it ok (not bad at least, but maybe not good either) when we get angry for a good reason without loosing our self-control?
On the other hand, would it be a denying of faith when we take matters in our own hands? Would it be wiser to pray earnestly “with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37)? And then trust God that He will interfere and save your family? Or would that be a denying of your faith and not living out your prayers?
While we were talking this over, and contemplating the new things (or not really new, but mind boggling for sure!), we didn’t come to an answer. It seems so complex, and yes, maybe it is dependable of the context. Or, doesn’t it matter what the context is? You should just never ever do it? As said, we didn’t come to an answer, time will tell, but I hope that time will never come!
Linda Wooning 133325
WAUS & EGW
While driving to school early morning these last couple weeks, I listened to the WAUS radio station, which is broadcasted from the Howard Performing Center at Andrews University. I noticed that the station isn’t profiled as a Seventh-day Adventist radio station. In my opinion at least, from the half hour each morning I listen to it. While I read the book ‘Messenger of the Lord’, I read about the problems concerning ‘The American Sentinel’ (pages 188-189). They wanted to drop the words ‘Seventh-day Adventist’ in order to “get a much broader and more favorable response” (pg. 188). Anyway, a new magazine was published, ‘Liberty’ which had the church doctrines attached to it, as well as the name Seventh-day Adventist and the number of readers increased greatly. Could this same principle be applied to the Andrews radiostation? Although they have a short spiritual moment in the morning (7:30 am - maybe more throughout the day but of this I am not aware), they do not profile themselves as religious that much. Jesus said in Matthew 10:32, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.” Could this be applied here? If this sation would confess Jesus, would it be mightily blessed from heaven? Can this station change the way their programs are, and repeat history (the way God blessed the magazine ‘Liberty’)?
To continue this reflection paper, I would like to say that (so far) during classes, I would have wished to learn more about Ellen White, her life and ministry. Not just reading it from a book, but hearing and learning insights into her life. Being an Adventist in the Netherlands, people do not value or treasure Ellen White as much as, perhaps, they should. Although, as I heard in class, Adventists here in America neither see her in a positive light too. But do people who say those things, whose opinions are so negative towards her, come to that conclusions for themselves or is it merely a copy of others? The latter is the case in the Netherlands for the most part. The younger generation absorbs the negative sounds that go around in Advent-world and makes it their own. They do not read and search her writing for themselves to see the rich treasures hidden in it, the spiritual uplifting journey, which the reading of her books actually are.
For this reason, I wished we talked more about Ellen White instead of problemtexts. So that a different side of the modern prophet could be shown in the Netherlands, that people might have a more balanced view of her life and ministry. And as a result of that, by the grace and help of the Holy Spirit, some might feel the desire to read her writings for themselves.
Another aspect where people make mistakes, is that they only read quotes. They read a certain statement (e.g. concerning marriage), and copy-paste this with other strong statements against marriage, and give that to people contemplating this important object. Yes, of course the prevailing view is negative. But if people for themselves would read her rich and well-balanced writings, such a different opinion would emerge. As the book points out, this practice of copy-paste and selective reading has been done for quite some time, even during the time when the author herself was still alive! And naturally, she strongly spoke against this.
Wayne C. Hosten
GSEM532
Reflection Paper #1
7/13/2007
THE HUNT FOR ELLEN G. WHITE
If there is one thing evident from this week’s lectures and class discussions, it is clear that Ellen G. White occupies an unenviable position, being misunderstood. On the one hand, there are those who solely rely upon her rather than on a “Thus saith the Lord” while there are those who either outright disregard her prophetic ministry or her relevance for these modern times. From the tenor of the comments in this week’s class, I would say that most have encountered more of the former than the latter. However, I have encountered more of the latter. On numerous occasions, I have heard young and old alike question the validity and poignancy of Ellen White as a prophet and messenger, respectively. Perhaps the only solution to the competing interpretations of the ministry and role of Ellen White is to evaluate her in the light of Scripture. This week we attempted to do so, and I believe it will put us in a good stead not only for the class but also for the future.
Fundamentally, we saw that the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev. 19:10). Hence, the root of all prophecy is a clearer revelation of Jesus, who He is and what He wants to do for us. To achieve this goal, the Scriptures, the Church, the Cosmos (all of creation), and extracanonical prophets are employed. The Scriptures via the Holy Spirit testify of Christ and form the basis by which we test all prophesies (John 5:39; 1Timothy 3:15-17; and Isaiah 8:20). The Church, in that, it is the illumination of God’s Word working to change and bring us into the image of Christ (1Cor. 3:18). The Cosmos through its declaration of the glory, majesty, caring, and creatorship of God (Psalms 19:4; 33:6, 9; Matt. 6:26, 28, 30; Rom. 1:20). The extracanonical prophets who although not memorialized through authorship within Holy Writ still had authority from God and whose office as prophet and commands were as binding. Nathan and Huldah come to mind.
During this discussion, I can remember a question I had regarding the Church. Who constitutes it? Is it the church militant or triumphant? With all of the problems in the church can we really be epistles written by God and read of all men? If the pastor gets up to preach but preaches what is not according to God, do we say that although done in ignorance of the truth that he and his particular church are still apart of the constituted church of 1Corinthians 3? I am still searching for these answers and do not ascribe to the notion that our church, Seventh-day Adventist, is the final arbiter of truth, that would be the Bible.
In evaluating the validity of the prophetic role of Ellen White, we saw that like with any prophet, the Bible must be the determining factor. Four tests were revealed. The prophet must be Christ centered (1John 4:1, 2), must be in line with Scripture not contradictory (Isa. 8:20), the prophecies must come to pass and be from God (Deut. 18:22), and the prophet’s life or character must reflect Godliness (Matt. 7:16, 20). Based upon Biblical tenets, we also determined that one must evaluate a prophet based on spiritual discernment, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit who gives differing gifts to all believers, and that the community of believers will further evaluate the prophet in order to recognize and submit to the office of the prophet. I remember asking the question on this point if that did not put validation of the prophet’s office in the hands of the people rather than in the hands of God. It was clarified that ultimately, regardless if the people heed the warnings, admonition, and advice of the prophet, it is God who gives the office and His Word validates the prophet.
Lastly, the idea of relevance has been playing repeatedly in my mind. In the diagram presented in class as the “Wheel of Theology”, we maintained that Christ was the center, the Bible was the spokes, and the message must be relevant to the world one lives in. I think one can see the danger of relativism if left just here but if we take a holistic view rather than solely inclusive or exclusive we may insulate ourselves from the danger of relativism. Yet, again, in my experience thus far, many are losing the relevance of Ellen G. White’s ministry in their lives. As we go along, I hope I become more knowledgeable about her so I can share her with others.
Wayne C. Hosten
GSEM 532
Reflection Paper #2
7/19/2007
SAY WHAT?
As we have come to the end of our second week, the overall tenor of our discussions was the need for a holistic perspective in Seventh-day Adventist theology, which includes our understanding of the ministry of Ellen White. As to her ministry, when viewed holistically, we see that Ellen White is actually not extraordinary within the Biblical confines of the spirit of prophecy. She is a messenger of God (her choice word in describing her ministry). If the definition of messenger is simply one who bears a message from God, then Jesus, angels, prophets, apostles, deacons, preachers, elders, and the church for that matter are messengers from God for a unique purpose (Mal. 3:1; Rev. 1:1, Hebrews 1:14; Rev. 1:20). Of course, in no way am I equating the human agents with the God Man, Jesus Christ but the point speaks to the continuity of the prophetic gift making its presence valid and relevant for our times. Hence, when evaluated by Scripture, and placed within its proper context, we learn that the ministry of Ellen White does not solely belong to the Seventh-day Adventist Church only but to the world.
Throughout the week, examples were presented to make the point clear regarding the need for holistic perspective. Two examples touch on pillar doctrines of Seventh-day Adventism, the sanctuary and the law. The debate surrounding the sanctuary is whether it is and was literal or symbol, or literal and symbolic. I agree that it is literal and symbolic. Literal in that the earthly sanctuary did exist and was a copy or type of the Heavenly (Exodus 25-31; 35-40; Hebrews 5; 7-10) However, these sanctuaries are also symbolic of Christ’s sacrifice, longsuffering, advocacy, care and concern, and our ultimate vindication in and by Him as Judge. If we take the either/or approach, the sanctuary message would be incorrect and sadly become insignificant. The fact that Seventh-day Adventism is perhaps the only Christian denomination where the sanctuary plays a prominent role within its doctrinal framework, gives it a mission to share a Christ-centered sanctuary message. To accomplish this goal, a literal and symbolic interpretation is needed not only for those outside but within the church as well.
We continued our holistic paradigm by applying it to the law. It is here, to be honest, that either I am confused or carry a misconception. I have been thinking, praying, and reading my Bible trying to understand or comprehend the following concept. It was presented in class that the Bible, the moral law and the ceremonial law seem to be equal and fulfilled in Christ Jesus. As a result, our traditional understanding that the ceremonial law was abolished or nailed to the Cross is problematic since it leaves us open to the charge that we are radically prooftexting by eliminating the portion of law, the ceremonial, we disagree with in order to defend a tenet we hold dear, the seventh day Sabbath of the moral law. But, if I understand the argument, we use fulfilled instead of abolished, then we can avert the charge by holding that nothing is abolished, that there is unity in the Law or Laws of God and Christ is at the center of each. In John 5:39, He is the focus of the Scriptures. In Matthew 5:17-18, He fulfills the moral law. In Ephesians 2:14-16 and Colossians 2:14-16, He fulfilled the ceremonial law.
Although the holistic principle has its strong points, what gives me pause is the argument that nothing is abolished in Christ but all is fulfilled as well as the notion of the equality of the Bible, the moral and ceremonial laws. Although serving different purposes, there are keen distinctions that exist. Jesus Himself gave the ceremonial law, glorious in its own right, to Moses as a foreshadowing of His death. It laid out before humanity God’s immense love for us by sharing the length and breath He is willing to go for us to destroy the sin problem by unfolding the Sanctuary economy. The ceremonial law was also an evangelistic tool where it trumpeted to the world until Christ’s death that a loving God is willing to send His Son to die on our behalf. By offering morning and evening sacrifices and sharing the significance, Israel was to carry this message of hope to a world in need of it. The ceremonial law exposed us to the Heavenly sanctuary in that the earthly serves as its type. Hence, we glimpse Christ’s High Priestly ministry (Heb. 5:1-10:22). Nonetheless, the ceremonial law served its purpose and is no longer binding (Heb 9: 8-11). Its economy has ended although its lessons may remain (Eph. 2:14-16; Col. 2:14-16). However, the Moral Law still stands. It superseded the ceremonial law. In fact, the ceremonial law existed because of disobedience to the moral law. Christ’s death did not disannul it for it still exists (Matt. 5:17, 18; Rom. 7:7, 12; James 2:10-12; Rev. 22:14).
Some would and do argue that Christians are not under the law but under grace therefore the Ten Commandments, are not binding upon them. To make the case, they point to Romans 6:14, “…for ye are not under law but under grace;” Galatians 3:24, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25) “But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster;” 2 Corinthians 3:17 within the context of law, albeit ceremonial, “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” Of course, Romans 14:5-6, “One man esteemed one day above another; another esteemed another day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6) He that regards the day, regards it unto the Lord, and he that regarded not the day to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks, and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.”
However, a closer look at these texts would indicate that they in no way disregard the Moral Law. Romans 6:14 speaks to the condemnation of those who are guilty of the law but it does not get rid of it. In verse 15, Paul affirms the moral law’s existence even for those who have given their lives to Christ by saying, “What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” Galatians 3:24-25 merely shows us the multiplicity of the moral law in that it not only defines sin, condemns sin, and teaches the character of God but it also serves as an evangelistic tool to bring us to Christ. By showing us our true characters, we see our need for a Savior. The liberty found in Christ, as expressed in 2 Corinthians 3:17, is not a license to sin but our freedom from sin. In Luke 4:18, Jesus boldly proclaimed His mission to free people from the stranglehold of Satan and sin. Emphatically, both Paul and Peter warn Christians against the misuse of the liberty found in Christ as an excuse to fall back into sin in Galatians 5:13 and 1 Peter 2: 16, respectively. Romans 14:1-7 has been used to argue against the Sabbath Commandment. By pointing to the phrase, one regards the day unto the Lord while the other does not, it is inferred that a particular holy day is not important and those who do believe so and say so are being judgmental, thus violating the import of the apostle’s instruction. The argument is used regarding foods as well. However, the context of Paul’s letter to the Romans is important. The Christians were debating whether meat offered to idols prior to being sold was permissible for their consumption. As believers took sides, a judgmental attitude permeated among them. Paul craved for unity within the church without compromising the law of God (Romans 7:7, 12). As a result, Paul would not condone the breaking of the Sabbath by buying meat on the Sabbath. Thus, the day spoken here must either be a holiday, or festival but not the seventh day Sabbath.
These distinctions between the ceremonial and moral laws are important. I have been questioned repeatedly by those interested in Adventism but who are confused by the prevailing view that the seventh day Sabbath was nailed to the cross. Yet, when shown the distinction, those receptive appreciated the clarity. Now, I do not assume for one moment that the intent of the holistic approach is to equate the two laws in such a way that the distinctions are not explained but it can easily appear to do so.
Also interesting is the argument that if we abolish the ceremonial law we are intrinsically ridding ourselves of the Old Testament itself since it is referred to as the Old Covenant. Again, I do not quite follow. Perhaps we are better served by placing our focus on applicability. As we survey the Old Testament we find instances where practices prescribed by God had been modified such as the all-vegetarian diet (Genesis 1:29) to clean animal diet (Genesis 9:3), the change from a theocracy to a monarchy (1 Samuel 8:6-22), change from tabernacle (Exodus 25:9; 33:7-11; Hebrews 8:5) to temple (1 Kings 8; 9). However, tenets, principles, covenants, the plan of salvation remained.
In the Old and New Covenant debate, context would be the better course of valor. We can apply the ceremonial system to the Old Covenant and say, yes, there are lessons we can learn and knowledge we can gain but we are under no Biblical authority to practice the ceremonial law, it is abolished. Yet, although the old covenant is no longer binding the Old Testament, as the Word of God still stands and is very relevant in our postmodern world of relativism (Psalms 119:105; Isaiah 40:8; Daniel 2;7-11; Revelation 11:3-13).
This reflection has truly caused me to think, to pray, and to search the Scriptures. If this is the goal of the assignment, then mission accomplished. I hope I have been fair in my understanding or assessment of the holistic argument in regards to the law. If not, I look forward to clarity.
Wayne C. Hosten
GSEM 532
Reflection Paper # 3
7/26/2007
WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE?
We ended our third week by coming full circle in addressing the relationship between ceremonial, moral, and natural law. I have a better understanding of the thesis that Christ’s death on the cross did not abolish the ceremonial or for that matter the moral, which can be inferred if we take the argument to its logical conclusion (Eph. 2:16; Col. 2:16). So what was nailed? The condemnation under which sinners are guilty of by breaking the law. Hence, Jesus is the lamb that taketh away the sins of the world available to everyone that believeth in Him (John 1:29; John 3:16). The thesis does allow for distinctions between the ceremonial and moral laws as stated in Scripture without abolishing the lessons and insights into the love, care, and concern of God for humans throughout earth’s history provided by the ceremonial law. As a result, “fulfilled” points to Jesus and places Him at the center of Torah, ceremonial, and moral laws thus giving a clearer understanding of each ones role in humanity’s salvation - past, present, and future.
If we are going to be Christ-centered, Bible based, and relevant to the world, according to Dr. Hanna‘s model, then we are going to have to address what does it exactly mean to judge.
Yet, there is a derivative issue stemming from our law discussion, which may be even more confusing, the issue of judgment. The “fulfilled law framework” was posited to enable us, as Seventh-day Adventists, to better address problem texts such as Galatians 3:24-25, Colossians 2:14-16, and Romans 14: 5-6. In Galatians 3:24-25, we understand that it pertains to both the ceremonial and moral law. For Colossians 2: 14-16, we may still have disagreement as to whether this is an either/or construct regarding ceremonial or moral law but it speaks against passing judgment. The same holds true in Romans 14:5-6 in that Paul admonishes the Roman believers to restrain all judgment upon each other regarding foods and the observance of special days. The takeaway principle is an injunction on Christians against exercising judgment against others. It is here, however, where I believe confusion emanates for Seventh-day Adventists as to our last day mission to warn, appeal, and share Bible truths that ultimately call for changes in relationship with God. In essence, who are we to judge!
Judgment is the bogeyman in these postmodern times. How do we determine what is right and what is wrong? Then, who is right or wrong? Is there a distinction between what people do and who people are? If someone kills, we judge that to be wrong, do we judge the individual to be a murderer? If we do so, have we just exercised judgment against that person, “once a murderer always a murderer?” That may be an extreme example so I’ll bring it closer to home. Imagine I have an Uncle Bob who used to be a Seventh-day Adventist minister but now is a Pentecostal pastor who worships on Sunday and teaches others how to speak in tongues and await the secret rapture. How should I react to his “new light”? Should I avoid all conversations regarding religion and spirituality with Uncle Bob? I feel conflicted! I pray to be used by God. I pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit daily. I pray for family members, friends, and others who are not allowing the Lord to be Lord of their lives and Savior from their sins. I am called to give and live a last day message of warning before its too late. I have to say something. Do something. Evangelize! Am I being judgmental? After all, who am I to determine whether anyone is in a saving relationship with Jesus or not? They could be closer to Christ than I. May be I should not be interceding on the behalf of others before the Throne Room of God since my petitions can be based on observations of behavior not found in the Word of God that lays out how a Christian should walk, talk, and act. Either action I take regarding Uncle Bob is the result of my judging him. If I decide to do all I can to win Uncle Bob back to Bible truth, then I judge him to be in gross error. If I do nothing or do less than what God requires, then I judge Uncle Bob to be in a safe and saved position and as long as he loves Jesus, he will be saved even if practicing deception. As a result, there is no way not to judge so there must be a right and wrong way to practice it.
I believe the Bible provides the answer. Judgment can be placed into two categories: of the person and of the action. In Matthew 7:1-5 and Luke 6:37, 42, Jesus warns against hypocritically judging people. The context is the parable of one who has a plank in the eye while trying to get the smaller log out of his brother’s eye. Jesus says that the individual who hypocritically judges will be judged by his own unfair standards. Perhaps that is why David said he would rather be judged by God, who is fair than humans, well we know how humans can be. Included in the definition of judgment is the term to pass sentence on. When we engage in this behavior, in essence, we are usurping the power and role of Jesus as Judge (1Timothy 4:1; Revelation 22:11-12). In fact, humans will only take part in judging others during the millennium (1Corinthians 6:3; Revelation 20:4, 6). Therefore, if we are making plans for heaven, then we have to leave the sentencing up to Jesus.
Does this mean then that all judgment is off limits to us on this side of Heaven? No. We can make the distinction between passing sentence and exercising spiritual and common sense. What is in my best interest? What makes sense? Whom should I hang out with and still keep my Christianity? Should I really be looking at this movie or going to the club (only to witness of course)? We must make judgments or choices because there are eternal consequences. Joshua in his last address to Israel made them choose between serving God or the pagan gods. God had brought them out of Egypt, gave them food in the desert, clothes that never wore out, and a land of milk and honey. They decided to follow God based on His goodness to them after they judged Him to be fair and faithful (Joshua 24:15-19). Choices or judgments must be made. Elijah on Mount Carmel clearly demanded that the people “stop halting between two opinions, either follow God, if He is God or baal, if he is god” (1Kings 18:21). We make judgments everyday. One of the best I ever made was in marrying my wife. She is the gift that keeps on giving! Yet, in choosing her, I judged, if you take it to its logical conclusion, that no one else on the entire earth was worthy of being my wife except her especially, when I believe that God brought us together for His purpose and our joy. Nonetheless, we have been married for four years because of our actions toward each other, which influence our choice and exercises our judgment to remain so.
Jesus informs us of this principle in Matthew 7:16, 20 when He says, “Ye shall know them by their fruits … wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” He goes on to share that a good tree will and can only bear good fruit and a corrupt tree will and can only bear evil fruit. This is controversial but Jesus never said that it would not be. Is he saying that by one’s behavior we can tell where their heart is? Alternatively, does the fruit bearing process take time and we should not rush to judgment? To be honest, I do not know. What I do know is that Jesus, the patriarchs, the judges, the prophets, the kings, the apostles, Wycliffe, Hus, Jerome, the Waldenses, the Reformation Reformers, the Wesleys, the Whites, and even us today and countless others throughout history were not afraid to call sin by its right name and sinners to come to repentance even though they themselves were sinners. Is that hypocritical judgment? Not when led by the Holy Spirit, grounded on the Word of God, done in the love of Christ Jesus, and never forgetting what we were and who He is! This seems to be the right way to judge. Seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance, be grounded on Biblical truth, if directed to give a reproof by the Holy Spirit since we are our brother’s and sister’s keepers, we ought to do it in love remembering what Jesus did and does for us. There are no guarantees and it is risky but that comes with the title, the robe, and the life of the Christian.
In our relativistic world, there is no absolute anything. This is not the age of the definite article. We live in waves of truth, good, and correctness among a sea of truths, goods, and correct ways. However, to use the definite article, “the” requires one to make a decision, a choice, dare I say, exercise judgment. In our society, sacred and secular, this exposes one to the charge of being judgmental, closed, and narrow-minded. Again, while one of the goals of our model: Christ-centered, Bible based, and relevant to the world, assists us in answering and, moreover, living out difficult passages of Scripture, such as Romans 14:5-6, a clear understanding on Biblical judging in light of the ecumenical environment we find ourselves in would be helpful as Adventists wrestle with the need to be distinctive (Matthew 5:13-16; John 17:9-15; 1 Peter 2:9) yet not be isolationist thus impeding the evangelistic command of Christ (Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8; Revelation 14:6-12). Perhaps, in our study of the life and ministry of Ellen G. White, we have an example
MY PERSONAL REFLECTIONS FOR WEEK 2
AN EPISTLE AND A TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
In 2 Corinthians 3:2 it says, “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men.” It seems that Paul likes to spiritualize certain things to express something meaningful. In 1 Corinthians 6:19, it says “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” Also, in 1 Corinthians 3:16, it says, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” 2 Corinthians 6:16 says the same thing, “For you are the temple of the living God.” Again, Paul spiritualizes the Temple in the Old Testament in order to drive home its meaning in our current context. This means to me that I then become Holy because God’s temple is Holy. God sanctifies. He makes things Holy. I have to have life lived before God.
As I brooded over this subject, I began to think that the entire Scriptures, Old and New Testaments is our sanctuary of truth that represent a body of instructions of how God deals with sinners, how sinners approach a Holy God-Creator, and how sinners are to respond to God. Could it be that the ceremonial systems even in our day continue to guide us and provide us with instructions with regards to living our lives before God through the ministry of Ellen G. White? In other words, the ceremonial systems are being fulfilled in the hearts of people by the Holy Spirit not only through the Bible but also through the inspired writings of Ellen G. White. They still apply in our lives in a spiritual sense.
Another thing I brooded over this week is about the fact that Ellen G. White had dreaded the thought of the second coming of Christ in the 1840s because of her feelings of unworthiness which were directly related to her belief in an eternally burning hell. This gives anybody the idea that God delights in the torture of His creatures. She was faced with a confusing contradiction. It made it harder on her to believe in a God who lowers Himself down in order to save sinners from their sin. As I brooded over this subject this week, it was important to realize that if there is no immortal soul, there can’t be an eternally burning hell. A theological reflection on the nature of man would readily give a straightforward answer to this question. Later on, I found out from the writings of Ellen G. White herself some fascinating information about the kind of life which was given Adam and Eve. I am absolutely fascinated by the fact that for man to possess an endless existence, man needs to eat of the tree of life. If man stopped eating from it, he would ultimately die. Ellen White also wrote in Evangelism: “The word of God is our sanctification and righteousness because it is spiritual food. To study it is to eat the leaves of the Tree of Life” (138). Which is why Jesus Christ Himself said, “The words that I speak to you are Spirit and they are life” (John. 6:63).
Ultimately, there is one thing that God wants to sanctify with His presence, with His truth, with His Word and that is the heart/mind of every human being. I got excited about the text discussed in class this week which was Haggai 2:7 where it talks about “the desire of all nations.” This person is Jesus Christ who is of course the covenant bringer. The covenant is that God will “put His law in their minds and write on their hearts . . . ” (Jeremiah 31:33). Hebrews 10:16 speak of the same thing. It is interesting that in Haggai, the Lord gives a series of commands: (a) “Consider your ways” (1:5) (b) “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house” (1:8) (c) “Be strong . . . and work: for I am with you” (2:4) (d) “And I will shake all nations and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts” (2:7). And in chapter two God knocks down their pride; they are still unclean. But God says He will bless them. He will be with them. He will overthrow their enemies. God’s servants will be chosen.
I believe that in 2:7 the phrase “this house” refers to the people of God. Since I am a temple of the Holy Spirit, I am that house. What a promise! How glorious. I must keep working then for God. Keep trusting, asking, and praying to Him. I believe that it is to this end that the ministry of Ellen G. White comes into reality in my life. When it comes to the counsel of Ellen White on health matters and doctrinal matters, a life lived before God is the bottom line. I believe that the ultimate purpose of Ellen White and her writings and her counsels is to confront and urge us to live our lives before God in all areas of our lives (spiritually, physically, mentally, and socially). Unlike the biblical prophets, God uses another human being in such a mighty way, and although she is dead the message that God gives to us through her life, ministry and her voluminous writings are so relevant and that we still have a lot of catching up to do.
Kendrick N. Cid
IS ELLEN WHITE AND THE SABBATH A SCHOOL MASTER, TOO?
July 30, 2007
The Life and Ministry of EGWhite
MY PERSONAL REFLECTIONS FOR WEEK 3
IS ELLEN WHITE AND THE SABBATH A SCHOOL MASTER, TOO?
It was interesting how in class professor Hanna mentioned that not only the ceremonial and moral laws but also “natural law is also a schoolmaster” that leads us to Christ. White explains that the Sabbath will point our minds to God’s creation. “The Sabbath calls our thoughts to nature, and brings us into communion with the Creator” (DA, 281). Nature in turn will speak to our senses and declare that there is a Living God (Psalm 19:1, 2). God created the sounds of birds and brooks and waterfalls for me. Nature, God’s creation, was really the first book. We generally speak of nature as the second book, although nature was really God’s first lesson book for Adam and Eve. White says that the Sabbath is both a memorial of the work of creation and “a sign of God’s power and His love” (DA, 281). It is a sign of His authority (It gives us the reason why worship is due to God alone (DA, 437). The Sabbath “points to Him as both the Creator and the Sanctifier” (DA, 287). The Sabbath is a sign of Christ’s power to make us holy. He is inviting us to rest in His finished work.
One thing that I have learned in class that has been very helpful is that we must study Ellen White’s writings holistically, contextually. Her writings are not to take the place of common sense either. And when we read her writings, we need to make sure that we are getting the principle she is trying to point out. For example, the phrase that the health message is “the right arm of the gospel” must be understood in its rightful context. To completely understand what she meant by it, therefore, compels me to examine when she began using this phrase, how she uses it, the situations in which it is being used. I once sought help from an evangelist about how I might continue to converse with people at my church who were militant in proclaiming that the right arm of the gospel is the health message. My evangelist friend simply helped me recognize that the right arm of the gospel may very well be the health message, but it is not the gospel. Well, that settled it for me.
The class discussion on the Adventist view of the Law and Ellen White’s thinking was exciting. I argue that no Law is abolished at all because Jesus said that He did not come to destroy the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill (Matthew 5:17). Paul himself said that “the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (Romans 7:12). Paul also says that we establish the law and not make void the law through faith (Romans 3:31). So, I’d rather face the difficult question of why not keep the ceremonial law then? I think a more relevant question is: Do ceremonial laws have an effect on life lived before God? I like the idea that when I eat meat I must think of the Lamb who came to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
At the moment I am reflecting on the 7th day Sabbath and its significance. And I agree with professor Hanna that the Sabbath must be viewed in the light of the Cross of Christ. First of all, the Sabbath if viewed from creation is a gift, an invitation to rest in God’s finished work. It is interesting to realize that Adam and Eve were already invited to rest not having done any work yet. This tells us that God is our provider but also our Creator. The Sabbath is also a gift of grace in that it is an invitation to enter into God’s finished work of redemption. During the week, our feeble lives are exposed to spiritual and physical decay. Grief, anxiety, discontent, remorse, guilt, distrust, all tend to break down the life forces, and to invite decay and death. White claimed that “sickness, suffering, and death are [the] work of an antagonistic power. Satan is the destroyer; God is the restorer.” But on the Sabbath, Christ says: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28, 29). It is so important to realize that when Jesus said, “come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,” it was on a Sabbath day.
Four Revelations of God and His People
By Jinha Kim
Throughout this week’s class discussions, lectures and reading from Messenger of the Lord by Herbert E. Douglass, I have been impressed and inspired by the significance of the Word of God as an animating, breathing and empowering force that reveals not only the character and plan of God but also the character and role of His remnant church. The four revelations, the creative Word realized in the Cosmos, the Incarnate Word lived out in Jesus, the inspired Word penned in Scripture, and the illuminated Word preached in the lives of His people, not only show the awesome omnipotence of our Creator, Savior, Author, and High Priest, but they also show the wonderful potential of God’s creation of living out His Word in their hearts, worship, teachings and fellowship. As God’s remnant church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is challenged and privileged with a unique mission to fully realize this potential and to elevate both God’s revelations of Himself and His revelations of His people.
The first revelation, the creative Word realized in the creation of the world, simultaneously reveals God as Creator and His people as His creation. This revelation gives God’s people an identity. They are not here by chance; they were created for a purpose, a relationship. Furthermore, God’s followers are imbued with a special identity, since they have been recreated in God’s image. The same power that animated each word in the sentence “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3) quickens the stony heart with the words “Ye are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). The same intensity that divided the light from the darkness, the land from the waters, divides the holy from the unholy and says, “Thy sins are forgiven thee. Go and sin no more” (John 8:11). The same intimate touch that formed Adam from the dust of the ground and the breath of God recreates a heart of flesh in His image. This conversion experience ought to be as powerful as the Creation story; every testimony should be a miracle of life coming out of death. Seventh-day Adventists bear the identity of the remnant church because we “keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:16). I was inspired by Ellen White’s own spiritual awakening “Along with a focused theology that captured the main theme of the Bible came a fresh, captivating picture of God that charmed her into a deep, dynamic relationship with her loving and gracious friendly Lord” (Douglass 68). Is our testimony and identity founded upon the recreation experience? Is the creative Word working dynamically to mold us into His image?
Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word, God who became man, Immanuel, also reveals His purpose for His people. He did not come as the mighty Creator of the world, the ruler of the universe, but as a humble human being, able to bleed and to die. The Word of God, which had created time in the sun, moon and stars and space in the firmaments and lands, is suddenly concentrated into one solitary life, limited in time and space. In his essay, The Solitary Life, Dr. James A. Francis describes Jesus as a man “born in an obscure village . . . He never wrote a book. He never held an office . . . [and yet] all the armies that ever marched . . . and all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as that One Solitary Life” (Francis). Our purpose as the remnant church is to lift up this life, so that we might also influence others not only where and when we are, but unto eternity and to the world. Our identity as the remnant church is as witnesses to the testimony of Jesus Christ, despite the solitary sufferings that may come. The life of the prophetess Ellen White was such a life, who knew the “bleakness of discouragement” (Douglass 74) and loneliness of her calling. However, she persevered through loving service.
The third revelation, the inspired Word penned in Scripture, can also be applied to a deeper understanding of our mission. The Bible is a collection of God’s thoughts and words expressed in human language. Sometimes, they were dictated, but most often, the accounts of Scripture were inspired expressions of an idea. Thus, they reveal God’s character and will through human words as best they can. As His remnant church, we are to apply this understanding to our lives as well as to the test of the prophets. We are not robots that react to God’s direct commands for every issue; rather, we are inspired by God’s ideas, principles and commands to express those values through our individual decisions and actions. When we read Ellen White’s writings, just as when we read the Bible, we are not to take each word at face value but as part of this general holistic approach to revelation. Mrs. White objected to people saying, “Why, Sister White has said so and so . . . and therefore we are going right up to it.’ God wants us all to have common sense, and He wants us to reason from common sense. Circumstances alter conditions. Circumstances change the relation of things” (96). We are called to use our “sanctified common sense” (96) rather than to be spiritual babes, relying on counsel rather than studying and praying for ourselves through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Paul expresses his frustration with the Hebrews: “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness” (Hebrews 5:12,13). The Hebrews still clung to teachings rather than understanding profoundly and personally the truth that they needed to be able to share with others. The same spiritual immaturity is prevalent today and existed during Mrs. White’s time, when people objected to grammatical edits to her Testimonies on the erroneous belief that every word was dictated by God (Douglass 120). As the remnant church, are we truly studying the Bible seeking for the hidden treasures, or have we become complacent, using her writings and visions as a crutch to delude ourselves into thinking that what we know is more than enough?
The final revelation of God through the illuminated Word preached in the lives of His people is really for our benefit. God can convert people through the world, the Bible, the life of Christ and angels and visions, if need be. Why does He allow us to share in this fishing of men? For that matter, why does He allow men and women to be co-creators through reproduction? Why did Jesus have to rub shoulders with mankind? Why did God inspire men to write the Bible, rather than carving them out on stone as He did the Ten Commandments? Why does God work with and through sinners? From the beginning to the end, God does all this to save us. He awakens our dead hearts by speaking the Word of life; then He is born in our hearts as the Word in flesh, not stone; then He inspires us to express His character and Word in our own personal languages; and finally, the Word becomes the Church, the body of Christ, with Jesus as the head and we as different members with diverse spiritual gifts. We become complete when Christ lives in us and among us as we work and fellowship together to bear His testimony.
How are we to fully realize this potential? During class, Professor Hanna suggested making the boundaries around the Church coarser so that people could be brought into our fellowship in stages. There are supporting and independent ministries outside of the Church administration that help bridge an individual from the streets to the pews. Why not go further? What about more interactions with other denominations? And the community? Other local non-profit organizations and schools? Imagine a Seventh-day Adventist church co-sponsoring a blood drive with the Episcopalian church. Imagine a Seventh-day Adventist youth group singing Christmas carols with the Catholic school at a nursing home. Why are we so afraid of interacting with others? Are we afraid of being contaminated with false doctrines? But God is stronger; we can more than overcome evil with good. Do we not have the truth? Do we not have the testimony of Jesus? Why can’t we share our faith and lives with others positively, not merely through words of debate, but through the Word – the enjoyment and study of nature together, the contemplation of the life of Jesus, the opening of Scripture together, and the sharing of testimonies as a community? Douglass notes that “Mrs. White enjoyed responding to invitations from non-Adventist churches” (129) and that she spoke at Methodist, Baptist and other churches, as well as in town gatherings where prominent people attended. I believe that the Seventh-day Adventist church needs to interact much more with their local communities and Christians, so that people can see that indeed, we have the testimony of Jesus. Professor Hanna rightly stated that “we love parts of Ellen White that confirm the status quo of where we are already rather than seeking to grow” (paraphrased). Is it possible that our church is using this great gift of prophecy as a comfortable cushion rather than seeking to gain deeper insights from the four revelations, which are the foundations of her writings? Is this complacency leading our church to become hostile to other people and denominations, thinking that we have all the truth and that others have nothing good to share? I searched the Adventist website and found that we do have interdenominational and community projects abroad, such as a recent program that began on June 27, 2007 led by first lady Laura Bush involving ten faith groups working together to eliminate malaria in eastern Africa. But what about in North America? What about local communities? Do the residents of South Bend, Indiana know at least one Adventist intimately? Have they ever interacted with Adventists through common interests or community goals?
The four revelations of God, as well as the counsel and example of Ellen White, challenge us as individuals and as a Church to mature in our spiritual development and role in our world. We are to take the Word of God seriously, so that it may produce life and multiply not only in our hearts but in our community. We are to let this Word become flesh in our hearts through the Spirit, to share it in the written form, and to publish it in our lives and love. Only when we continually learn from these revelations, only when we share and learn them with each other, can we truly be the remnant church, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus. And that identity, mission and purpose all begin with me, with my recreation, rebirth, and revival.
Works Cited
Douglass, Herbert E. Messenger of the Lord: The Prophetic Ministry of Ellen G. White. Nampa: Pacific Press, 1998.
Francis, Dr. James Allan. “Arise Sir Knight!” The Real Jesus and Other Sermons. Philadelphia: Judson Press, 1926. pp 123-124.
Oliver, Ansel. “Inter-Faith Coalition Launches Anti-Malaria Campaign.” Adventist Church Official Website. June 28, 2007. Seventh-day Adventist Church. July 13,2007.
GSEM 532 Paper 2: Spiritual Coming-of-Age
By Jinha Kim
This past week, during the lectures, discussions and readings, I was truly challenged to develop my spiritual intelligence. Until now, I have been approaching the Scriptures and Ellen G. White with pre-conceived beliefs, and although I saw new insights in bible passages here and there, I had been studying both writings with a myopic lens. Rather than approaching each passage and topic systematically, within its context not only of the chapter, but of God’s revelations as a whole, I have been using the text to reassert the points I already approved. Ellen White herself had said, “Do not feel that you can dissect them [Testimonies] to suit your own ideas…” (Testimonies, vol 5, p 691), and Douglass says in Messenger of the Lord, “Some accepted the parts with which they agreed, and rejected ‘those portions which condemn their favorite indulgence’ (Douglass 172). I was challenged this week to honestly struggle with the question, “Am I willing to accept all that God reveals to me through His diverse methods of revelation?” And perhaps more importantly, how can I integrate and personalize the revelations so that I can truly grow in my relationship with God? How can I make the whole greater than the sum of the parts?
While seeing my need for a new approach to the interpretation of Scripture and Ellen G White, I am encouraged by two examples: that of Peter and Mrs. White herself. “No prophet saw the whole picture from start to finish . . . they had much to learn, much to unlearn. As a result, their messages became more precise as time continued” (Douglass 155). I thank God that He does not give us “mental or spiritual indigestion” by giving us more than we can handle, and I am encouraged that even Ellen White was human, after all. Just as Peter had to be given a vision to preach Christ the Gentiles, the prophetess had to be given visions to see a fuller light on different issues, such as what time the Sabbath begins. John N. Andrews made a biblical study and wrote a paper saying that it should begin at sundown, but Ellen White and Joseph Bates were against his findings until she had a vision. “Bible study, confirmed by vision, continued the general rule in the development of Adventist theology” (Douglass 156). She also received counsel about health but did not always immediately live up to what she learned. I have often felt guilty for not being able to live up to the full light of what I have been taught, regarding health, holy living, need for evangelization, etc. But I am going to focus now on letting God reveal to me one thing at a time as I genuinely and carefully study and pray over each issue of my life. Rather than burning out like Jonah’s gourd after a growth spurt, I would rather grow steadily and provide long-term shade like Abraham’s tree at Mamre.
Peter’s example also encourages me in my new struggles. When Peter saw Jesus walking on water, he asked, “Lord, if it’s you…tell me to come to you on the water” (Matthew 14:28). When Jesus said, “Come,” Peter “got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:29-31). This week, I have glimpsed Jesus in a new light, and I want to walk on water to be closer to Jesus. I want His Word to enable me to “Come” and keep my eyes on Him. I realize that my focus needs to be on Jesus always, so that whether I am treading on new struggles, revelations and changes, or on solid ground, that I can ever grow closer to Him. If I see the wind of theories, doubts and unanswerable questions, I will be afraid and begin to sink in the quarry of interpretations and the murkiness of legalism versus liberalism. I want to just look at Christ so that the waters will bring me closer to Christ rather than drowning me. Through the questions and the wrestling, I want to grow rather than be pulled down. Faith is not the act of stepping on water but believing in the relationship between my Lord and me. I’m keeping in mind the quote by Ellen White that “In the Bible, there are some deep waters where even an elephant may drown, and some shallow waters where even a babe can wade” (paraphrased). Whether the waters be shallow or deep, I am excited about walking closer to Jesus, following His call to come.
The examples of Ellen White and Peter have encouraged me to keep that relationship with Jesus the center of my search for the answers to the questions I asked above. How am I to understand God’s will for my life as well as for His church? Peter wanted so desperately to do right (he cut off the soldier’s ear, for example) that he did more harm than good. His zealousness for defending Christ made him blind to the will of Christ! I want to be able to discern God’s will through diligent and constant study and prayer rather than continue to merely defend what I already believe and practice. John the Baptist was the “lesser light, which was to be followed by a greater light.” I want to be the star of Bethlehem that leads people to Christ. I am struggling with the idea that “When God makes His will known, it will be revealed to more “than two or three. He will teach his church their duty” (Testimonies, Vol. 1, p 207). I am struggling to understand whether there is a standard of Sabbath-keeping or whether it is per individual conscience. I am trying to understand the duty of the church and of the pastor. I am struggling with His calling for me. Ellen White said: “I have felt for years that if I could have my choice and please God as well, I would rather die than have a vision, for every vision places me under great responsibility to bear testimonies of reproof and of warning, which has ever been against my feelings, causing me affliction of soul that is inexpressible. Never have I coveted my position, and yet I dare not resist the Spirit of God and seek an easier position” (selected Messages, book 3, pp 36,37). I pray that the Spirit of God would so burden me with the truth of His testimonies so that I may have a message for the people, a message that will point them in that closer walk towards Jesus. I pray that I may ever have a spirit of humility, wanting to learn and yet able to teach. I pray that this would be the beginning of a true spiritual maturity.
Kendrick N. Cid July 23, 2007
The Life and Ministry of EGWhite
REFLECTIONS FOR WEEK 2
AN EPISTLE AND A TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
In 2 Corinthians 3:2 it says, “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men.” It seems that Paul likes to spiritualize certain things to express something meaningful. In 1 Corinthians 6:19, it says “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” Also, in 1 Corinthians 3:16, it says, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” 2 Corinthians 6:16 says the same thing, “For you are the temple of the living God.” Again, Paul spiritualizes the Temple in the Old Testament in order to drive home its meaning in our current context. This means to me that I then become Holy because God’s temple is Holy. God sanctifies. He makes things Holy. I have to have life lived before God.
As I brooded over this subject, I began to think that the entire Scriptures, Old and New Testaments is our sanctuary of truth that represent a body of instructions of how God deals with sinners, how sinners approach a Holy God-Creator, and how sinners are to respond to God. Could it be that the ceremonial systems even in our day continue to guide us and provide us with instructions with regards to living our lives before God through the ministry of Ellen G. White? In other words, the ceremonial systems are being fulfilled in the hearts of people by the Holy Spirit not only through the Bible but also through the inspired writings of Ellen G. White. They still apply in our lives in a spiritual sense.
Another thing I brooded over this week is about the fact that Ellen G. White had dreaded the thought of the second coming of Christ in the 1840s because of her feelings of unworthiness which were directly related to her belief in an eternally burning hell. This gives anybody the idea that God delights in the torture of His creatures. She was faced with a confusing contradiction. It made it harder on her to believe in a God who lowers Himself down in order to save sinners from their sin. As I brooded over this subject this week, it was important to realize that if there is no immortal soul, there can’t be an eternally burning hell. A theological reflection on the nature of man would readily give a straightforward answer to this question. Later on, I found out from the writings of Ellen G. White herself some fascinating information about the kind of life which was given Adam and Eve. I am absolutely fascinated by the fact that for man to possess an endless existence, man needs to eat of the tree of life. If man stopped eating from it, he would ultimately die. Ellen White also wrote in Evangelism: “The word of God is our sanctification and righteousness because it is spiritual food. To study it is to eat the leaves of the Tree of Life” (138). Which is why Jesus Christ Himself said, “The words that I speak to you are Spirit and they are life” (John. 6:63).
Ultimately, there is one thing that God wants to sanctify with His presence, with His truth, with His Word and that is the heart/mind of every human being. I got excited about the text discussed in class this week which was Haggai 2:7 where it talks about “the desire of all nations.” This person is Jesus Christ who is of course the covenant bringer. The covenant is that God will “put His law in their minds and write on their hearts . . . ” (Jeremiah 31:33). Hebrews 10:16 speak of the same thing. It is interesting that in Haggai, the Lord gives a series of commands: (a) “Consider your ways” (1:5) (b) “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house” (1:8) (c) “Be strong . . . and work: for I am with you” (2:4) (d) “And I will shake all nations and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts” (2:7). And in chapter two God knocks down their pride; they are still unclean. But God says He will bless them. He will be with them. He will overthrow their enemies. God’s servants will be chosen.
I believe that in 2:7 the phrase “this house” refers to the people of God. Since I am a temple of the Holy Spirit, I am that house. What a promise! How glorious. I must keep working then for God. Keep trusting, asking, and praying to Him. I believe that it is to this end that the ministry of Ellen G. White comes into reality in my life. When it comes to the counsel of Ellen White on health matters and doctrinal matters, a life lived before God is the bottom line. I believe that the ultimate purpose of Ellen White and her writings and her counsels is to confront and urge us to live our lives before God in all areas of our lives (spiritually, physically, mentally, and socially). Unlike the biblical prophets, God uses another human being in such a mighty way, and although she is dead the message that God gives to us through her life, ministry and her voluminous writings are so relevant and that we still have a lot of catching up to do.
More Christ-centered? & the way E.G. White describes herself
Reflection on the first week lecture
When we discussed the criteria by which we evaluate a person, or an institution, someone used the phrase “more Christ-centered.” Then one question occurred to my mind: How can we say that someone or something is more Christ-centered than the other? For instance, in our conference a few years ago, there was a man who kept criticizing the church by saying that the church leadership was deviating from true Adventism, and he used the Scripture and quotations from E.G. White to support his argument, and debate occured. As a layperson, and a young student, I was not sure how I should deal with their opinions because both seemed reasonable in terms of the biblical basis.
When we see someone in church disputing against someone else, it is not difficult to determine which position is more biblical by carefully examining the use of the Scripture. We can conclude that it is not biblical if the argument uses the Bible partially. The same principle can be applied when we evaluate the relevance of the argument to the world because an opinion that is irrelevant to the present situation tends to be extreme, and it is easy to distinguish which one is extreme.
The way E.G. White describes herself
When E.G. White described herself as a messenger of God as “a lesser light to lead men and women to the greater light”, it is possible that she had in mind the fourth day of Creation, when God created the sun and the moon: “God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night”(Gen. 1:16). She illustrates herself as the lesser light, the moon, and God as the greater light, the sun. I think that this is an adequate and beautiful metaphor to illustrate a prophet’s work. Human beings need the light of the sun to live, but we cannot directly see the sun because of the beam and heat. The moon shows us what the light of the sun is like. Similarly, E.G. White and other prophets are not God himself, but they can teach us what He is like by reflecting His light to us.
How to present/defend the authenticity of E.G. White
Reflection on the second week lecture
While numbers of Seventh-day Adventists, as well as non-Adventist Christians, find blessings in the writings of E.G. White, it seems that sometimes new believers hesitate to put an importance on her writings. Such people seem to think: that her teachings are sometimes so legalistic that they can not appeal to the mind of the post-modern generation; that since the Scripture is the only source of their faith, they do not feel the need for other materials; that since the authority of E.G. White as a prophetess is not clearly explained, they do not want to make effort on the study of her teachings.
Each of the above statements can be answered by several means, and I think we spent most of the first two weeks of this session to discuss and try to answer the third argument. Since E.G. White is an indispensable figure in the Adventist theology, to leave such a question about her authenticity unanswered will bring about a distrust in church doctrine itself.
The best way to evaluate the authenticity of E.G. White is to place her works in the context of the Scripture. However, to compare the biblical text with her writings word by word does not lead us to the proper understanding of her works. Since she wrote over 5,000 pages of manuscripts, a quotation from one part of the writing and the other from another can often create a conflict. As “Adventists are thought inspirationists, not verbal inspirationists” (P.120), we have to pay attention to the overall idea, not the individual words themselves.
According to the textbook, some asserted that the fact that Mrs. White used editorial aids invalidated the writer’s authority. It is possible, however, that even bible prophets used editorial aids, or at least we cannot know the truth. Again, as we are not verbal inspirationists, we can accept the articles by E.G. White even if they were edited, as long as her thought is properly expressed in them.
Pantheism and Sanctuary doctrine & Interpreting a vision
Reflection on the third week lectures
Pantheism and Sanctuary doctrine
As a response to Dr. Kellogg pantheistic view, the opposed claimed that his theology was “contributing to the dismantlement of the sanctuary doctrine.” (P.202) It is not difficult to imagine that pantheistic idea was a threat to the Adventist theology, but I could not clearly see its relevance to the doctrine of sanctuary. The textbook presents the resolution by the General Conference session in 1905 which may answer the question above. However, I am wondering how we can approach this sanctuary issue by using the Christ-Scripture-Cosmic framework that we have been discussing throughout this session.
Interpreting a vision
Second question that was occurred to me when reading the section of Dr. Kellogg’s issue was, How much should a prophet interpret what s/he see in a vision? When she was dealing with the Dr. Kellogg’s problem, E.G. White saw a vision of an iceberg and a captain. After this vision, she did not reveal it to people as it was, but she interpreted it as a metaphorical message from God which meant that she had to break the silence and confront the controversy. This reminded me of how Daniel recorded what he saw in a vision. He just wrote down the vision, and did not try to interpret or apply it to the world of his time.
However, that E.G. White interpreted the dream she had also recalled the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis, though it was not Joseph who saw the vision. He was given the inspiration to interpret the implied meaning of the dream of which the Pharaoh could not understand the meaning.
This comparison between E.G. White and Daniel, or Joseph, led me to the conclusion that God inspired not only the words the prophets employed but also how they interpreted the vision He gave to them. We cannot say that which is the best attitude that a prophet should adopt.
"Framework for Understanding EGW"
Kevin Kim
I always had a feeling that our common Adventist understanding of the Spirit of Prophecy was based more on tradition, than on scripture. This is not to say that our fundamental doctrine concerning the gift of prophecy is invalid; rather, that the average Adventist has been taught and continues to believe that the Spirit of Prophecy is exclusive to the written testimonies and books of Ellen Gould White. In our attempt to validate our claim as the remnant as defined in the book of Revelation as those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony (faith) of Jesus, we have put a registered trademark (R) after the "testimony of Jesus" as the "Spirit of Prophecy." We have limited something the Bible clearly teaches as simply the Holy Spirit that evinces itself through a variety of vehicles: Jesus Christ himself, scripture, the church, and creation. White should be understood in the context of this model, otherwise we have done the Holy Spirit a disservice. Moreover, it is tragic that our Adventist church places such a great emphasis on the Spirit of Prophecy, but not on the Spirit for fear of being associated with the Pentecostal and charismatic movements.
It is also ironic that we have boxed in the Spirit of Prophecy to such a great extent that if God were to genuinely send another prophet, we would find it quite difficult to accept him or her. Which makes me wonder if White was the only prophet that God sent since the Reformation. Even White agreed that God used the great Reformers of the Protestant Reformation to move the work of God forward and bring greater light to the Jesus Christ of the scriptures. This is not a faith-ending qurery, but it does make me ask how diligent I have been in testing the prophets as outlined by scripture. In addition, how would that change my understanding of prophecy if there had been someone who was sent by God whose words were a lesser light to the greater light.
I must admit that despite my best attempts as being a balanced Adventist, it is hard for me to understand that White was simply one person in a great legacy of Holy Spirit inspired individuals. Even White distanced herself from the word prophet because she knew people would bring their personal definitions and assumptions about that particular term.
That is why it is imperative for us to study and compare the various passages of scripture that deal with the issue of prophecy such as Revelation 12:17, 19:10, 22:8-9, and even 1 Corinthians 2:1-2, John 5:39-40, 2 Corinthians 3:2-3, and Romans 1:20. Not only do they shed light on the proper understanding of the gift of prophecy, but they also provide a framework for the Word: 1. incarnation (Jesus) = Word 2. inspiration (scripture) = Word 3. illumination (church) = Word 4. creation (cosmos) = Word
This first week has been a paradigm-shift for me and I am continuing to build on this new understanding of Ellen White, the Spirit of Prophecy, the testimony of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. I have appreciated not only the lectures in class which have provided me this meta-narrative, but also Herbert Douglass' book which so far has provided the context of prophets and prophecy in the Bible, as well as the historical, cultural, theological, spiritual, physical, and personal backgrounds of Ellen White.
"EGW Still Encourages Adventists to Move Forward"
Kevin KIm
As we travel further into the life and ministry of Ellen White, we are learning that she is a woman of great depth. Until now, she has only been presented as a caricature. It seems tragic that we have never actually known this prophet that we so often talk about. I wish all Adventists could learn about the life and ministry of White before learning her about testimonies.
Even though I know that she is not infallible, I am just beginning to understand how White learned from her mistakes. Our misplaced definition of a prophet has contributed to how we think they should act. For example, when it came to her public reprimands, White realized she could have handled certain reproofs differently. Yet, in many cases, she felt public sins should be discussed in a public manner. A theological example of her growth was her fuller understanding of the law in Galatians during 1888.
It is this erroneous view of how a prophet should act that contributes to our own taking on of the prophetic mantle. As pastors and theologians, we may speak in extremes as we attempt to move people in a particular direction. We believe we are justified in this particular approach, but often the result is that of the parishioners going beyond our dramatic injunction. While that may have never been our intent, in our rush to “prophesy,” we have neglected the need for moderation and balance. But as Jesus and Ellen White found out, this is no easy task because people tend to demand specific rules and live them literally rather than holistically.
No where is this better evidenced than in the chosen nation of Israel. Was Israel chosen because it was holier than the other nations? Is it God’s ideal or was it because of the hardness of humanity? As the following diagram shows, there has a historic progression of people being called out. Nations Israel Christians Reformers Adventists. However, this calling out was never God’s perfect will. When God called his people out of Babylon, it was not because Babylon was so evil or because Israel was so perfect. If God’s people truly softened their hearts, this would be unnecessary.
God’s ideal is not a new institution, but a reformation of the existing. But those who put emphasis on everyone else but themselves, start believing that since their message is prophetic and pure, so also is their institution. We should never believe that we are the perfect church.
Even White had a balanced view of this dynamic. Those who use her writings to argue for a coming out, are not listening to the rest of her writings. She tried to protect the church from schism. And she did not say it is impossible for the church to fail. But what is most important is that we understand that the real coming out is not an institutional coming out, it is a spiritual coming out.
And whether we are defenders or agitators, we should always desire a spiritual coming out. And if this happens, there should be sadness on both sides. But when people talk about breaking away, there is often a sentiment of superiority. We must remember that if God allows for a coming out, we must have the same spirit as Jesus.
To balance this spirit of humility and empathy, we should also note that we cannot mix truth and error. Truth cannot be compromised. Whether we discern the biblical principle in the old way or new way or looking at things, we should always be new wineskins ready for the right win. Israel could have been transformed into new wineskins, but they refused. Christianity who was the new wineskin, has now become the old wineskin. Are Adventists too in danger of becoming old wineskins?
One must remember that the Adventists were not perfect in their understanding of 1844. Have we too rejected God’s prophecy sent through Ellen White? While White is usually used to bolster the traditional teachings and lifestyle of Adventism, in reality, she is far ahead of the church on many issues.
Galatians 3:28 refers to three social issues that talk about putting on Christ: race, economic, and gender. Surprisingly, these three issues can show how evident Christ is in the church and in the Christian. Yet, Adventists have typically ignored this aspect of Christianity, preferring tradition over relevance.
Herbert Douglass’ book shares an excellent example of this in White’s counsel regarding the support of prohibition. At the Iowa camp meeting in the summer of 1881, White relates a dream from God where He says, “You, as a people, should be the head and not the tail in the movement; but now the position you have taken will place you at the tail.” In fact, her reply to whether Iowa Adventists should vote for prohibition was dramatic, “Yes, to a man everywhere and perhaps I shall shock some of you if I say, If necessary, vote on the Sabbath day for prohibition if you cannot at any other time.” This testimony both electrified and unified the church.
So, we are beginning to see that White is not a historical artifact or someone who just supports the status quo. It is the truest tragedy that we actually believe we have White completely wrapped up and understood. In terms of her emphasis on spiritual and holistic growth, we are playing catch-up with a woman from a hundred years ago.
Jonathan Burnett
Ellen White a Spiritual Lazy Boy?
Another interesting week has passed. This week we spent some time wrestling with more theological issues that surround the life, ministry, usage and misusage of Ellen G White. An interesting point of discussion centered on how the writings of Sister White should be used and what God’s intention was when He gave this gift to the church. All too often the prophetic gift has been misused as the rule of faith and practice. As such seasoned practitioners of the verbal martial art of ‘Whitekido’ are able to pull Ellen white quotes in defensive and offensive moves at mind boggling speed. The very best pugilists also have an in depth knowledge of the many apocryphal and pseudepigraphical works of Ellen White, such as ‘Testimonies vol. 12’ and ‘counsels communion and foot-washing’. In all seriousness, as we identified this week, there is a tendency to use the inspired writings only to buttress ones own ideas, opinions or the status quo. I feel that the danger here is that Ellen White writings (especially in there rapidly searchable digital form) can become a spiritual ‘lazy boy’ for many people. We don’t want the hard work of going to the bible ourselves and prayfully studying and wrestling with God over the many real issues that we face. The truth is that, where as the prophet’s writings might point to God’s ideals of how a person should live, they have no power to transform a person in and of themselves. The same Spirit of Prophecy that inspired Ellen White is needed to fulfill her prophetic counsel in the hearts and lives of men and women today. In her defense this misuse of Ellen White is not her fault as she always advised the church to go to the bible to work out issues of faith and practice. The irony is that many, who fly the flag of loyalty to every drop of ink that came out of the pen of inspiration, disregard some of the plainest teaching that she gave.
Another issue that we discussed this week related to 1844 and how we should understand what happened. We were informed that we shouldn’t limit our understanding of 1844 to things happening in heaven only. We can see that around this time the prophetic ministry of Ellen White and the prophetic movement of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church both trace their origins. It was at this time that this group of people went into the world teaching a more correct view of the judgment than the Millerites had had. We also discussed how this is not the only judgment mentioned in scripture. This got me thinking that there could be 7 times of judgment in the history of the world. 1. Gen 3 When Adam, Eve and the Serpent are judged after sin. 2. Gen 6-9 The Flood, the earth is judged because of their continual sinful thoughts. 3. John 12:31 The cross, Satan is cast down. 4. 1844 The dead are judged. 5. The Living are judged, sometime in the future. 6. The 2nd Advent, Jesus comes to judge the world. 7. The millennium and the 3rd Advent, judgment of God by the Saints. In this frame work we can see that from the very beginning the hour of God’s judgment has been with us. The great thing to notice is that in all of these judgments God’s people are rescued from Satan and not accused by God. Zechariah 3 provides insight into how God judges us and who it is that accuses us.
We also spent some time talking about Jones and Wagner and the 1888 General Conference. We were talking about the idea that the moral law was also a school master to bring us to Christ. When Dr Hanna mentioned that natural could also be included in that category it reminded me of something I had been thinking about sometime ago. I wondered why it was that humanity, which was the crowning act of God’s creation, can die in just 4 inches of water, or why does fires harm us when God is described as being a consuming fire and we were made to live in His presence? I am starting to think that it is because after sin we fell under the law of nature also. Jesus demonstrated what a person of faith whose heart is right with God can do, He walked on water, and Peter did too for a while, He commanded storms, rebuked tress etc.
Jonathan Burnett
The Spirit of the Law goes beyond the letter.
The issue of ‘the Law’ is something that unites all people. Although not everyone uses the same vocabulary to describe it, every society or social grouping has some explicit or implicit rules by which they live. As Seventh - day Adventist Christians this issue has been especially close to the heart of our understanding of what makes use unique among the universal body of Christ. Last week we spent considerable time talking about some of the issues revolving around ‘the Law’ and how we are to relate to it today.
First of all it must be stated that the phrase ‘the Law’ is pregnant with many shades of meaning and nuances of application. Some, when hearing this phrase, think of the Ten Commandments, others think of the ceremonial system, still others the whole Torah. The difficulty comes when this phrase is used in a biblical passage. Different people, based on their understanding of this phrases meaning, come up with different interpretations and applications of these passages, and maybe the text allows for all of these positions, the problem is that Christianity has tended to be very Hellenized in its reasoning. Greek thinking likes to deal in absolutes, either a thing is or it isn’t. Each thesis must have its antithesis and so, unlike the Jewish paradigm of thought, (which is the background for the Old Testament), Christianity has sought to define doctrines and limit the meaning of scripture to one true, right, interpretation from God and all else is, by virtue of not being the same as the one, true, right, interpretation from God, heresy. The fact is that neither God nor the scripture can be pigeon holed into our hermeneutical constructs. Often when we encounter problem texts it is not the text itself that is a problem but rather how it’s plain meaning might ‘contradict’ our previous understanding that causes the problem.
In any case the SDA church faced these kinds of difficulties during the 1888 general conference. Jones and Wagner had, through bible study, reached the conclusion that both the moral and the ceremonial law were school masters to bring us to Christ. I believe that it was not because Jones and Wagner didn’t have strong biblical reasons why the leaders of the church at first rejected they message, it was more the implication of the message. The possibility that the church and its prophet could be wrong or rather not fully right was unthinkable. I am sure that these men also worried about how one could preach on the importance of the observing the Law, especially the 4th commandment, when this law was a school master. Fear of mass antinomianism sweeping the church probably prevented the leaders from giving Jones and Wagner a fair hearing.
I sometimes wonder whether we as a church do the same today. We so zealously try to preserve the truth that we have (and so we should) that we are guilty of destroying it. Truth is living and therefore it must grow and develop. If we try to keep it by preventing it from growing we will cause it to decay and die. Fortunately for the church in 1888 they had Ellen. G. White to assist them in accepting this new revelation about the Law. We do not have Mrs. White in the same way that they did to help us through all of our difficulties. We must learn from the mistakes that our church has made and foster a much more open minded attitude towards new revelation. That is not to say that we accept everything but it means that we must be willing to accept truth even if it seems to contradict what we have known until now. Many things in the bible seem mutually exclusive but they are not. We must learn to live with this tension because after all we worship a God who is both fully human and fully divine.
The case was made for understanding that in fact both the moral Law and the ceremonial Law were fulfilled in Christ but neither were abolished in the sense that some might used that word. Neither law should be kept in order to gain salvation but both are still be to be observed in spirit. Just as there is a distinction between both laws there is also a distinction in how they are to be kept in spirit. Jesus’ own interpretation of the moral law gives us an insight into how the law should be kept. The law says do not commit adultery but Jesus said to lust after a woman in your heart is adultery. Therefore the spirit of the law includes and goes beyond the letter of the law.
If this same principle is applied to the 4th commandment it is clear that to keep the law in spirit is more than to do no work, is to do works of righteousness helping those who are in need on the Holy day of the Lord. This day gives man a chance to take the focus of himself and his needs for a while and join with God in working for the good of others. It is good to do good everyday, but that is not the complete spiritual fulfillment of this commandment anymore than committing adultery without thinking any lustful thoughts would be
INSPIRATION AND ELLEN WHITE
The purpose of this paper is to share my reflection pertaining to this week’s discussions in class and the assigned reading of the book entitled “Messenger of God”. In class, it was presented that God reveals himself in four ways; through Christ himself (incarnate), through scripture (inspiration), through the cosmos (creation) and through the church (illumination). And it is through God’s remnant (Ancient Israel in the past and our church today) that we find prophets who help to tell more clearly, the character, image and will of God, and specifically, Jesus Christ. But biblical history has also shown that God’s prophet’s are many times misunderstood, rejected, and persecuted. In reflecting on this week’s lectures and specifically, the prophetic ministry of Ellen G. White, I wonder if our church is making the same mistake as ancient Israel with how they mistreated and ignored their Prophets.
Simply put, I believe Ellen White is being rejected more and more by each succeeding generation. Although the Seventh-day Adventist Church high level leadership upholds and endorses Mrs. White as a prophet, many members and pastors view her, at best, as an inspired writer equal to the many other religious authors of our day. Ancient Israel, whether from Moses to Malachi, could hear and receive instruction directly from the throne of God. But this instruction was rejected generation after generation. These ancestors of mankind chose their own way. In class we learned that some prophets in Old Testament times were condemned during their lifetime but honored (with monuments) after their death. However, it seems that Ellen White was more honored in her lifetime and her influence is now on the decline since her death. The textbook reveals that Mrs. White was constantly traveling, speaking, writing, preaching, and meeting with members and leaders across the United States. She wielded tremendous influence and was regarded as having the gift of prophecy, though some critics did exist. Thousands would come to hear her speak. The textbook also reveals the human side of the struggle in establishing the Seventh-day Adventist church. Mr. and Mrs. White both endured feelings of discouragement, depression and being misunderstood. However, through it all, Mrs. White was mostly accepted as a Prophet, a messenger of the Lord. But since her death in 1915, rather than her influence steadily growing, she appears to have plateaued and is now in decline.
In my opinion, Mrs. White’s influence has eroded because people have misunderstood her writings. In class we learned that she had two kinds of writings, divinely inspired and personal opinion. However, many have taken Mrs. White’s personal correspondence (and personal opinion) as “divinely inspired”, thus showing inconsistency on various topics that were directed specifically to individuals, not the church. I wonder if our church would be better to only promote those books (i.e., Conflict Series) that speak of Jesus and the scripture, and leave the opinion writing to the scholars. Perhaps then, Mrs. White’s writing would be viewed only in the light of scripture and her prophetic commentary more aptly understood and accepted.
Lastly, we learned that God has always had a remnant. This remnant is a special group of people and individuals who are given pure truth through the Holy Spirit. Israel was the first remnant, followed by the early Christians, then others, including the Waldenses, the reformers (i.e., Luther, Zwingli and Calvin) and ending with today’s Seventh-day Adventist Church. However, once again, I would venture to say that many Adventist today not only reject Ellen White as a prophet, but dismiss the concept that the Adventist church is the true remnant. The ecumenical movement has encouraged pastor’s to think that quoting other authors make them culturally relevant, to minimize quotes from Mrs. White, to communicate our likenesses to other denominations more than our differences, and to blend in, versus stand out, in the Christian community. I believe the time has come to urgently reeducate the laity, to remind them that we do live at the end of time, that God has chosen a remnant people throughout history, and that our time has come as His remnant. With a renewed vigor, we, as pastoral leaders, we (including myself) need to remind our members that our church has been given a special message and a messenger, the gift of prophecy through Ellen White.
THE SANCTUARY DOCTRINE
The Sanctuary Doctrine is my topic of reflection for this week. On Wednesday of this week, we spent a good part of the class reviewing the Sanctuary Doctrine and its relevance for today. As a second generation Seventh-day Adventist, I have a general understanding of this 23rd fundamental belief of the church. I also realize that this particular doctrine is probably debated more than any other. After all, it is the only unique doctrine of the church, and it is linked to the prophetic ministry of Ellen White.
To begin, the bible is quite clear that a heavenly sanctuary does exist. Hebrews 9:24 reads, “For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.” The handout we received in class builds a compelling case that heaven does contain a heavenly holy place. Likewise, we know that ancient Israel was asked to create a earthly sanctuary for God to dwell. This portable sanctuary was eventually replaced by a permanent temple in Jerusalem. However, the sacrificial system at the Temple was abolished due to the atoning death of Jesus.
The bible is clear about two sanctuaries, one on earth and the other in heaven. Whether the sanctuary on earth is symbolic of what is in heaven, or whether the heavenly sanctuary is literal or symbolic for us on earth, is not what is truly important in the big picture. To me, the relevant questions are, when did Jesus enter the Holy Place in heaven and how is the judgment to be accomplished? I wonder what difference it really makes if Jesus entered the Holy Place (symbolically and/or literally) immediately after his ascension or waited until 1844. After all, upon returning to heaven, Jesus had 4,000 years of earth’s history to judge. So why wait to begin the “investigative judgment” for the dead until a future date? After all, for those who have lived and died, their destiny is determined, just not yet declared publically by Jesus.
On the other hand, Jesus understands that the judgment is not merely for the judged. All heaven will be eagerly watching, the devil and his angels (who are already condemned) will be eerily awaiting the results, and perfect intelligent life throughout the universe will be witnessing how Jesus deals with sin and the individual sinner. So, in reality, not only are the deceased and ultimately the living human being judged, but so is Jesus. Jesus is on trial as much as the sinner. Mrs. White has astutely coined the term the “Great Controversy” to accurately portray the cosmic conflict between Jesus and Lucifer. As I begin to understand the Great Controversy between God’s government and that of Lucifer, I see now that when the judgment occurs is as important as how people will be judged. Jesus wants things to be absolutely fair for all parties including those have lived (waiting until they die to judge them) and those who are living (waiting until the last possible chance for their choice for Jesus over self) and for those who will observe (showing that the judgment is just). Moreover, the bible itself displays the 2,300 year prophecy, pointing to 1844 as the time when Jesus entered the Most Holy place in heaven. Therefore, commencing with the judgment from 1844 shows that Jesus is taking His time to methodically and fairly judge, advocating for every person who elected to have God rule their life.
So, when Jesus entered the Most Holy place is closely connected with how he is accomplishing things. And what Jesus is accomplishing is to try and save as many people as possible, applying his sacrificial death for every person who is eligible. As earth’s history comes to a close, as people consider their own lives and their future and their ultimate destiny, the sanctuary message has significant relevance for today. This message tells people you have a God (Jesus) who is not trying to condemn you, but save you, if you would invite Him to lead and transform your life. Indeed, the sanctuary message is about hope and salvation for those who claim the promised gift of life from a personal and holy God.
THE DUAL NATURES OF CHRIST
In class this last week, we briefly discussed the two natures of Christ. We were reminded that Jesus is totally divine and totally human, though not mixed nor divided in nature. Jesus possesses two complete natures that are in sync and harmonious. But in examining the two natures of Christ, I am left with this question: Did Jesus, in battling sin, hold a strategic advantage over Adam and every human who has ever lived, by defeating Satan at the cross?
To be sure, the bible reveals that Jesus had both a human and divine nature. In terms of Jesus’ humanity, the bible tells of a very human person, who got tired (and took vacations as was pointed out in class), who experienced fear (while on the cross), who knew hunger (as exemplified by the first temptation in the wilderness) and who felt the shame of rejection (by the Pharisees, Sadducees, and other Jews). Beyond the physical and emotional human experience Jesus endured, he was also tempted as a human. The bible says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.” Hebrews 4:14. But in addition to the human nature, the bible also records Jesus as divine. At his baptism, God the Father audibly states through the clouds whom Jesus is: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17. When Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:16. Simply, Jesus was God in the flesh.
The book of Romans tells us that Jesus was the second Adam. But was Adam both human and divine? Adam was a created perfect first human, and so therefore could not be God as well. So how can Jesus be our substitute if he appears to possess a nature no human has ever had? First, let’s examine the apparent advantage of Jesus and his divinity. One might point to his miracles of healing and raising people from the dead. But didn’t the apostles (e.g., Peter, Paul), and many Old Testament prophets perform similar miracles? Beyond miracles, some might say that Jesus’ teachings were proof of his divinity. But didn’t others (from Moses to John the Revelator) reveal significant teachings of truth as given to them by the Holy Spirit? The fact is the actual recorded teachings of Jesus are but a small part of the bible. And what about Jesus’ ability to predict the future due to his divinity? Here again, many others were given this same gift, some with even more prophetic prominence than Jesus himself. Yet, no one would say that Moses or Isaiah or Ellen White were divine, though they possessed the gift of prophecy alone. So what advantage does Jesus divinity bid him? I would answer, none as a man.
I believe that the human nature Jesus takes on is the only nature he exercises for himself while a mortal man. In order for Jesus to be our substitute, he cannot have any advantage. But after Jesus has lived and died a perfect human being, his divinity takes over enabling God the Son to conquer death. The amplified version of Romans 1:4 reads “And (as to His divine nature) according to the Spirit of holiness was openly designated the Son of God in power (in a striking, triumphant and miraculous manner) by His resurrection from the dead, even Jesus Christ our Lord (the Messiah, the anointed one).” Jesus declared in the Gospel of John, "I am the resurrection, and the life." Ellen White writes, “In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, and underived. ‘He that hath the Son hath life.’ The divinity of Christ is the believer's assurance of eternal life.”--The Desire of Ages, p. 530 (1898).
So Jesus Christ was human and divine while alive as man, and yet divine and human in death as God. Therefore, we now have an advocate who has taken our punishment, our guilt and our death, and presented us with the gift of eternal life. As to the question, did Jesus have any advantage (over mere humans) in battling sin; the real advantage goes directly to the human race. For Jesus, in his divinity, made eternal life possible only after his humanity was proven to be perfect first.
Major Events In Ellen White’s Life
By: Jonathan Kim
Reflecting upon the previous week’s class experience, I can honestly say that I’ve been blessed through the professor’s lectures and by the questions that have been brought up by various individuals in our class.
Since becoming a Seventh-day Adventist in 1998, I’ve desired to learn more about the Bible and the prophetess of our church, Ellen White. Though I was really skeptical at first, I found three of Ellen White’s books - The Great Controversy, Steps to Christ, and the Desire of Ages - to be full of insight and picturesque words that helped me to obtain a deeper understanding of Scripture and a beautiful picture of God and His love. Though I believe her insights are not the final word on Scripture, I am very thankful to have her books as a reference and a guide. Her books have challenged me and have offered me fresh perspectives on Scripture.
I have also enjoyed reading the Messenger of the Lord, by Herbert Douglass. About a year ago I felt a desire to learn more about the life and ministry of Ellen White. Prior to enrolling in this class my only picture of Ellen White came from studying her writings, but Douglass’s book has lead me into her earlier years expounding upon the trauma in her life and the depression she battled with before being called into ministry. Three major events occurred in her life that proved to be pivotal - her physical trauma at age nine, her exposure to William Miller’s preaching, and lastly, her two dreams in which she visited the heavenly temple in one, and met with Jesus in another.
At nine years old, Ellen was walking home one day with some school friends when an older girl who had been following them threw a rock that hit her in the face and placed her in a coma for three weeks. This senseless act of violence disfigured her and lead to respiratory problems that affected her throughout her ministry. Though that experience was tragic for Ellen, it had helped her to turn her eyes toward heaven and seek comfort in God.
In 1840, a man named William Miller expounded upon the prophecies found in the Bible and preached that the second coming of Jesus Christ was near. He profoundly affected Ellen’s life. Having listened to many “fire and brimstone” sermons, her picture of God turned into one of fear. Because of her fear of failure, her Methodist upbringing, and the unfortunate events of her past, she described a “secret agony” that she hid in her heart for years to come. Later, a meeting with Jesus in one dream and a visit to the heavenly temple in another freed her from her secret agony and removed the false picture that she had of God. All of these events lead her to discover the plan God had for her life.
I was really surprised by how traumatic and difficult Ellen’s earlier years had been. Through this story I was reminded again of God’s love and compassion and how he carried Ellen through her darkest hours of life. He restored the joy that was lost to her and provided her with strength in weakness to carry out the many works He had in store for her ministry. That portion of the reading really painted a beautiful picture of Jesus for me.
I have also been greatly blessed by our professor’s lectures. He explained on the first day of class that God chooses to reveal himself to us through four kinds of revelation: Jesus Christ, the Holy Scripture, the church, and the cosmos – with Jesus Christ being the supreme revelation of God. As the professor proceeded to expound on those revelations I was reminded of God’s unfailing love and grace and how He continues to favor a relationship with us though we are fallen and pitiful.
Also, before I enrolled in this class it never occurred to me that prophets were prone to mistakes and flaws. It shocked me to learn that sometimes even the prophets misunderstood God and His will, though God spoke directly to them. For example, Jonah, who desired to see the destruction of Ninevah, became angry with God when he discovered that God had shown mercy to the Ninevites after they had repented their sins. As Jonah hardened his heart, God had to use the life and death of a plant that had offered him shade from the sun, as a way of humbling him and revealing His grace and justice.
Ellen G. White’s Visions & the Remnant Church
By: Jonathan Kim
This past week, I really enjoyed reading section three of Messenger of the Lord, by Herbert Douglass. As I mentioned in my last reflection report, the life and ministry of Ellen White is a fairly new subject for me. Outside of the Great Controversy, Desire of Ages, and Steps to Christ, I’ve only skimmed through portions of her other writings.
As I was reading Messenger of the Lord, I was absolutely captivated by the visions that the Lord had given to Mrs. White. I haven’t read much about this aspect of her life before but there were times when the hair on the back of my neck stood on end from how accurate her dreams and visions had come to be. One example of that would be her vision concerning Mrs. Alcott, a woman who professed great holiness, yet, was secretly involved in adultery with another man. The Lord showed Mrs. White a vision concerning Mrs. Alcott’s true spiritual state and even revealed to her the exact words Mrs. Alcott would use to defend herself when confronted about her sin. Everything came to pass in the way that the Lord had described it to Mrs. White. The N.D. Faulkhead experience in 1892 is another good example. As she met with Mr. Faulkhead to discuss with him how the path he was on would lead him to his downfall, Mrs. White showed Mr. Faulkhead two hand signals that only the Knight Templars and the highest order of Freemason’s knew. Through this meeting with Mrs. White he was fully convinced that she had been sent by the Lord and he ended up rededicating his life back to Him.
As I read through the account of her visions, I was amazed at her boldness as a prophet and how she was willing to stand before congregations to call out those in sin. In the past couple of years I have read a few news stories on modern day “prophets” who have claimed to be from the Lord but when the Biblical test of a true prophet was given to them, all of them failed. Knowing that Mrs. White has passed the Biblical test of a true prophet gives me joy in knowing that our church is part of something special. The accuracy and detail of her visions have proven to me that light was given to her by the Lord along with a special message to pass on to the Christians living in the end of time.
Ellen White stated something in chapter fifteen that completely caught me off guard. In a letter written by her in1874, she recalled the past thirty years of her life and expressed that if she had her own choice and could please God as well, she would have rather died than have a vision. In the letter she claimed that every vision given to her was a great responsibility that caused her great suffering beyond what words could describe. I greatly admire her humility and willingness to serve the Lord even though she didn’t desire her position as a messenger or a prophetess. She denied herself and didn’t resist the Spirit of God in order to seek an easier position.
Mrs. White’s letter really made me think about my own calling in life and the thoughts that I struggle with everyday concerning where the Lord is trying to lead me…
As for our class discussions and lectures, I was blessed this week by our professor’s lectures on the sanctuary message and the current debates going on between scholars in our church today about whether the sanctuary in heaven is symbolic or literal. I valued the point that our professor made when he stated that sometimes we place too much focus or emphasis on the left side of an idea, or the right, instead of seeing the greater picture that God has for us. That lecture challenged me to approach my own reading of Scripture with more of an open mind and to also think along the lines of the bigger picture instead of simply dissecting single words or sentences and being satisfied with that.
Also, I was deeply challenged by the thought that the Seventh-day Adventist church is not an infallible institution and that if we ever were to fail in carrying the torch of truth and we wandered away from the light given to us as the Israelites had, God would raise up another group of people to continue where we let go. That statement was profound and it affirmed for me the fact that our calling as Christians is one that requires much responsibility, commitment, passion and dedication. Often times, I think we don’t realize how grand of a calling has been given to us and we become complacent and very much like the church of Laodicea…
"The Tight-Rope Experience: The Challenge of Urban Evangelism"
By Jinha Kim
For two years, I worked at a church in Manhattan. The members reflect the make-up of the city – mostly young professionals in their twenties and thirties, but also the elderly, disabled, blue collar workers, as well as people from all over the world. We have several regular comers who harbor a plethora of beliefs, none of which are distinctly Adventist. Every week, visitors from around the world and from the community come for a day, a week, or a month, while every few months, the church has to say goodbye to those who are moving on. Often, the church is rented to different groups in the community. People from the streets drop by to pray or to participate in a prayer meeting here, a vespers program there. Friends attend our many events and neighborhood parents bring their children to our free tutoring program. We are a church in New York City and a church of New York City.
I faced many challenges and privileges as the Urban Outreach Coordinator for this diverse and dynamic body and city. Each time I preached a sermon, taught a Sabbath School lesson, or organized an event, I had two thoughts in my head: first, that this could be the one time someone hears the gospel of Christ; secondly, that this could be the one time someone hears about the unique Adventist message. I tried to present the Adventist message within the gospel context, but it was always a challenge to address the broad needs of such a diverse and fluctuating congregation. I felt like I was walking on a tight-rope, trying to keep my balance and not fall off. How can I present a Christ-centered, biblical, relevant Adventist message to such a group of people, especially to new visitors who see such contradictory and confusing messages about Adventism and Christianity in the lives of the different members?
How do I preach and practice the unique message about Adventism while reaching people on their common ground? As I read Section IV of Messenger of the Lord, I was struck by the dichotomy of Mrs. White’s counsel regarding this challenge. At the General Conference session on March 7, 1891 speaking about The American Sentinel’s desire to drop the unique Adventist message from its magazine, Ellen White said, “If there is committed to us a special message, as we believe, that message must go, without reference to the customs or prejudices of the world, not governed by a policy of fear or favor” (Douglass 188). Speaking of the magazine, Douglass notes, “In seeking a wider sphere of influence, the Sentinel lost…its vitality, its circulation, and at last, its life. It ceased publication…in 1904” (Douglass 188). But does this mean that we should only preach the three angels’ message, in every sermon and every outreach activity, such as our booth at the street fair, where we give free blood pressure screenings and hand out literature? How about when we make sandwiches for the homeless – should we be expounding the message of 1844? Clearly, Ellen White did not mean for that extreme.
Every message must be “Christ-centered, biblical, and relevant to the world” (Professor Hanna). Douglass says in the book, “Bringing the gospel to the general public, including many who have been burned over with previous religious experiences, requires tact in selecting the sequence of subjects” (Douglass 213). This is especially true for many young Adventists who come to New York City. Many of them have been so burned by their childhood experiences with the erroneous misapplication and misquoting of Ellen White and the unique Adventist doctrines that any mention of Ellen White or 1844 brings back traumatic and negative reactions. When the Sabbath School quarterly was on 1844, attendance in Sabbath School classes dropped significantly. Do we then ignore this phenomenon and hope that they will appreciate Ellen White if we keep quoting her from the pulpit? Ellen White herself presented the need for wisdom and prudence when presenting certain topics: “When you meet those, who, like Nathaniel, are prejudiced against the truth, do not urge your peculiar views too strongly. Talk with them at first of subjects upon which you can agree…Both you and they will be brought into a closer connection with heaven, prejudice will be weakened, and it will be easier to reach the heart” (Evangelism 446). I was also surprised by her counsel: “Present Jesus because you know Him as your personal Saviour. Let His melting love, His rich grace, flow forth from human lips. You need not present doctrinal points unless questioned” (Evangelism 442). Often, we rush into our explanations of the state of the dead and the Sabbath, going from passage to passage, without having shown them the love of Christ that is in my heart. “Christ’s example included avoiding ‘controversies,’ identifying with each person’s ‘interest and happiness,’ watching the ‘faces of His hearers…which told that truth had reached the soul,’ speaking with ‘simplicity’ by not bringing ‘many things before them at once, lest He confuse their minds [making] every point clear and distinct” (Douglass 213). When speaking in public, Ellen White did not first preach about the Seventh-day Adventist doctrines right away; she chose subjects of Christian temperance and practical godliness: “She knew that by starting with a neutral, contemporary subject she would gain a favorable hearing, thus setting the stage for more distinctive messages” (Douglass 213). But going back to my burning question, what about New York City? How do I preach a sermon that is simultaneously Christ-centered, biblical, and relevant to someone who has never heard about Christ, to someone who is Christian but not Adventist, and someone who has been Adventist their whole life?
As suggested, I read Christ’s Object Lessons to see Mrs. White’s insights about the example of Jesus. She wrote, “Jesus sought an avenue to every heart. By using a variety of illustrations, He not only presented truth in its different phases, but appealed to the different hearers. Their interest was aroused by figures drawn from the surroundings of their daily life. None who listened to the Saviour could feel that they were neglected or forgotten. The humblest, the most sinful, heard in His teaching a voice that spoke to them in sympathy and tenderness” (Christ’s Object Lessons pp 22, 23). Jesus was able to reach every heart and draw everyone closer to Him because he used a variety of illustrations and drew analogies and lessons from the surroundings of their daily life. He met them where they were and drew their minds and hearts to a higher plane.
The Savior walked, fished, slept and ate with the people he ministered unto; in the same way, I see a need to live and breathe in New York City to be able to minister to New Yorkers. Unfortunately, Ellen White has been misrepresented and overly quoted as condemning city living. She has said, “We have done none too much for foreign fields, but we have done comparatively nothing for the great cities right beside our own doors” (Evangelism pp 401,402). I was surprised to learn that she made a distinction between outpost ministries of institutions versus local churches and bible work. In his article, “Another Look at City Mission,” Professor George Knight concludes:
Some years earlier she had been quite explicit that some Adventists needed to move to the cities to raise up churches. "We see," she wrote, "the great need of missionary work to carry the truth not only to foreign countries, but to those who are near us. Close around us are cities and towns in which no efforts are made to save souls. Why should not families who know the present truth settle in these cities and villages, to set up there the standard of Christ, working in humility, not in their own way, but in God's way, to bring the light before those who have no knowledge of it? . . . There will be laymen who will move into towns and cities, and into apparently out-of-the-way places, that they may let the light which God has given them, shine forth to others. Christian Service, p 180.
He also cites how Ellen White commended Stephen N. Haskell for moving to and living in New York City, a few months or years before, she had called God’s people to work in but not dwell in cities (S.N.Haskell to E.G.White, Oct 14, 1902). In light of this holistic view of Ellen White’s counsel to workers to minister to New York City, there is need for God’s people to work and live in the city in order to better reach those inside high buildings. How else can you reach someone in a high rise with security in the front, unless you live inside? You cannot do door-to-door evangelism when you do not have access to the door and when no one’s home because they work most of the day. It is time to stop being one-sided and afraid and to go in and finish the work.
Looking back, I see that I have made many mistakes while working at the church in New York City. I had just graduated with an undergraduate degree in French literature, and so I had no theological training. I had volunteered at churches before but had never been on the board (I was only 22) and so was thrown into the Conference and church workings with no warning. I let myself get burnt out and stretched thin. I tried to please everyone and consequently became displeased with myself. But through it all and especially now that I can objectively evaluate the experience, I see that God was teaching me just how challenging and complicated ministry in New York City truly is – and that I desperately need His power and Spirit if I ever hope to make a difference there. Here at Andrews Seminary, I pray that I may learn to balance my theology but also learn practical lessons for my ministry so that I can be better equipped and even more dependent on my ultimate Teacher, Jesus Christ. If I keep my eyes on Him and walk towards Him, even if I fall, I am confident that He will pick me up and keep me on the right path.
Works Cited
Douglass, Herbert E. Messenger of the Lord: The Prophetic Ministry of Ellen G. White. Nampa: Pacific Press, 1998.
Knight, George. “Another Look at City Mission.” Adventist Review. 6 Dec 2001: Feature. 25 July 2007 http://www.adventistreview.org/2001-1549/story2.html>
White, Ellen. Christ’s Object Lessons. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald, 1900.
White, Ellen. Evangelism. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald, 1946.
A Blurry Picture Now Focused
If I could sum up week one with a single word it would be “WOW!” Since I do not have a theological background (my BS is Biology with a sociology concentration from AUC), most of what I know of Ellen G. White was taught to me by my parents, my church and even shepherd rods. So as you can imagine, my views on E. G. White are somewhat varied. While my parents taught us to believe in the authority of her word, they were careful to let us know that she was not above the Bible or the Word of God. I must say however, that many of the more mature members of my church did not present her that way. When ever we (my brother and sisters or friends) did something that was wrong or perceived to be wrong, we were instantly corrected by these “saints” with a writing or two of E. G. White. It was not hard to picture E. G. White as a long sleeve long skirt wearing, conservative, one hairstyle having, non-smiling, heavenly minded, pious prophet that had it out for kids. Then along came this class.
First I would like to talk about the two text books for this class, Messenger of the Lord by Herbert E. Douglass and the Bible. At first glance I was immediately intimidated by the small print and the two columns per page layout of the Douglass text book. But oh what joyous reading. Never in my 34year lifetime was I ever introduced to E.G. White the person, the child, the mother, the wife, the minister… until now. I feel as if I am propelled into the past and bearing witness for myself about E. G. White’s life. I am in awe with what I know so far.
Elly, as I affectionately call her, had this profound love and understanding for God at the tender age of 17. Her near death experience at 9 reminds me of Martin Luther’s thunderstorm experience that compelled him to make a vow of fear to become a monk and who was tormented by a God of judgment. In Elly’s case, she would learn to base her love for spiritual things not on fear generated by “hell fire” sermons and a false picture of God, but on a God who was both Heavenly Ruler and Friend. Thanks to dreams and pastoral counseling, her portrait of God was the foundational platform on which she built her mission. How often we lose out on the blessings of knowing God and the blessings of introducing others to God because we have a false portrait of God displayed in our lives and in our message. I am truly grateful for every new revelation I learn about a God who cares even for the small matters in my life.
I was so impressed on how she dealt with her children. Both she and her husband were not afraid to re-evaluate how they dealt with the discpline of their children and even critique themselves. I will be sure to place a bookmark on the marriage section of this text so that when I do get married I can refer back to the dynamics she and her husband shared. They were both in ministry and managed to please God and live contented with each other. While they had real problems, there love for each other, respect and support for each others ministry was evident. Before I move on to the lectures I would like to note that E.G. White did amazing things through the power and strength of God. You would have never known she was as sick as she was or in so much physical pain during her ministry. I can safely say that I am healthier than Elly was at 34. What hinders me to do great things for the Lord?
I am especially excited that we are using the Bible as one of our text books. While I know some classes are historically based and do not use the Bible as much, I love the fact that we are diving into the Word. The first image shattering information I got was on the first day of class. In the first seven texts used to point out the concept of the Testimony of Jesus versus the Spirit of Prophecy, I was shocked to see that 6 of the 7 texts promoted the Testimony of Jesus as the most important part of our message. Growing up you would think that the Spirit of Prophecy was equal or even greater than the Word of God. The concept of the four revelations (Christ incarnation, Scripture inspiration, Church illumination, and the Cosmos creation) is so neatly package. In one moment I was able to understand the basic framework of the Bible. I am truly excited.
“God can use a dull knife to cut down a redwood tree. It’s not the knife but God using the knife to cut down the Tree”. This was a quote that Dr. Hanna used to explain that in the hand of God we can be used to do great things to spread the gospel. What inspiration. I see now that Elly is a tool used by God to guide His people back to the Word as well as give us practical advice for Christian living.
The lecture on the remnant nation was so clear. The remnant nation time line moved logically from Israel to The SDA church. I see now that if we are not careful as a church to emphasis a Christ centered, biblical and relevant message to the world, then we are in jeopardy of making the same mistakes the Reformers made. The SDA institution is not the focal point of who we are. It is the supporting actor to the star of the show, Jesus Christ.
It has only been a week and so many false pictures of E.G. White (Elly) and of the SDA institutional structure has been shattered for me. I am a bit saddened that it took me having to come to the seminary in order to get a clearer picture. What are we going to do for the average member whose life calling does not lead them here? We owe it; I owe it to those I have “left behind” to help them see clearly so that we can finish the mission of the gospel hand in hand. The more you know about the church you love, the more in love you become. At least that’s how I see it.
A Drowning Elephant and Wading Baby
Week two was another amazing experience. Before going to the textbook (Messenger of the Lord by H. Douglas), I would like to briefly comment on the class discussions.
As is the custom, roll-call participation was done and plunged us into mind opening, challenging, and foundation shaking biblical discussions. The quote of the week (provided by Dr. Hanna) was “Scripture can be deep enough to drown an elephant yet shallow enough for a babe to wade in.”
As we dived into text after text I realized that I need to be very careful when attempting to interpret or study scripture. It is so easy to miss the blessings of a text by over theologizing or taking a one dimensional approach to the text. I am excited to read the Bible with a whole new set of eyes. The use of three dimensional vision (time, place and circumstance) coupled with the Spirit of God is the tools I will need to begin. I am a bit anxious because I know that my world will be rocked when I see texts in a different light for the first time in my life. While that thought is a bit terrifying, the flutter of my heart and the excitement of this new experience is one I cannot wait to sink my teeth into (I’m getting goose bumps already). The one thing I appreciate about week two is the fact that I am being challenged to take a closer look at the doctrines and knowledge I already have and believe in. I am being cut free from using tradition as an interpretation of scripture and moving towards a more Spirit led, and scripture based thinking. Our dissection of I Corinthians 11:3-16 was phenomenal but the sanctuary lecture…priceless. The literal versus symbolic lecture set the stage for me to really see the sanctuary message in a new light. I am almost embarrassed to say that I really never grasped the whole 1844 sanctuary message. While I still know that I need to go further with my study, I am ever so grateful for the tools I have been armed with this week to start my journey. I have to say that I never got that the object lesson of the sanctuary message was about relationship. God has always wanted an intimate relationship with His people. We are so busy theologizing our messages and confusing the average members that we are missing out on communing with our creator on so many levels. While I realize that there is a need for us to dive deep and explore all the aspects of the sanctuary message, I don’t want to drown in the many, many literal implications of the message.
I would like to explore the lecture we had about the ceremonial, moral and natural laws in Galatians 3. I have to admit that I myself have used the whole rational that the ceremonial laws have been nailed to the cross and the moral law is the law referred to in the New Testament. But not until now have I realized that I need to revisit this way of thinking. I left this week with a much clearer picture of II Corinthians 3 and 4 but I still have a question mark of understanding hovering over my head about Galatians 3 and 4. So for right now, I am going to hold on tight to my life vest (the Holy Spirit and this class) as I start moving into deeper waters. I have to say that the analogy of an airplane pilot and the law of gravity helped propel me tremendously into understanding that laws are not abolished. But reading all of Galatians 4 has me wondering who the “bondwoman and the freewoman” are in verse 30. I really have to thank God for the fact that I am in an environment where I can have these questions and be guided to the answers. I guess the key is in knowing when to wade, when to snorkel or when to put on your scuba gear when coming to scripture. I am sure that The Holy Spirit, directly and indirectly through class, will help me with that.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading chapter 9 in our text book Messenger of the Lord by Herbert Douglass. I love the fact that Ellen G. White (Elly) has become more of a real person to me through her humor. I laughed out loud at the Salt rub story where the worker accidentally used sugar instead of salt. Her response was not an angry, or “do you know who I am” response. She simply said, “Just trying to sweeten me up, huh?” Elly shows me that while she was a matriarch of the Seventh Day Adventist church, a messenger of the Lord, a powerful evangelist, a world renowned writer (and the list can go on and on…) she had time for humor. I think that Adventists are so caught on being the remnant, so focused on the health and three angels message, so dedicated to being the only true church of God, that we have forgotten how to enjoy being sons and daughters of Christ. It is a scary thing at times to stand before the people on any given Sabbath morning and see the weight of the world on the faces of the people instead of a countenance that screams out, “I have been with Jesus!” or “Thank God for the Sabbath, a true delight!” Many of us act so tormented by the burden of being Adventist that we send our visitors and potential souls running for their lives. I think that if we (including me) had a better understanding of the God who laughs with us, hurts for us, cries with us, sustains us and unconditionally loves us, we could see Adventism as a privilege and a not a burden we bear.
Upward and forward to week three!
SHAKING THE FOUNDATIONS OF TRADITION
Week three could be summed up with one question, what is the true foundation of my beliefs, traditions or biblical truths?
For years I have been taught and convinced (not by my own personal study) that the ceremonial laws have been done away with. I must admit, that is an easier argument to support rather than the view point that laws are not abolished. Jesus said it Himself that He did not come to change times and laws but came to fulfill them. Last week I was shaken to the core and did not understand clearly Galatians 3 and 4. This week’s class discussions have provided me with a new and wonderful understanding. In regard to the nailing of laws to the cross, the reasoning we [Adventist] use for keeping Sabbath and the rest of the moral laws, I see clearly now that the law was nailed to the cross. But not the way I formally thought. My transgression of the law was nailed to the cross not the law itself. Jesus died because of my accusations. It is in the presence of the cross that the law acts as a mirror for me to see my sins and repent. To say that the act of nailing to the cross was the act of abolishment would mean that Jesus, who was nailed to the cross, was also abolished. So is it possible to abolish one law and keep everything else? Now, I don’t think so. But this raises a whole new level of questions for me. Since the ceremonial law was not abolished then I can accept that it was fulfilled and transformed. So for example, Passover + the cross = The Lord’s Supper. But there are many other ceremonial laws, what were they transformed into? Is this too simple a view that what was fulfilled was transformed? It puts things in a neater package for me. But I am beginning to realize that in this class, attempting to place theologies and translations derived from scripture in a neat box is futile. Everything does not always fit. Well, unless it is Christ centered, Biblically based and relevant to the world. I now see that when I place my traditional beliefs through the filter of the cross that I am getting fragments of my traditional beliefs, gaps in my reasoning, holes in my theories. This is FRUSTRATING and EXCITING all at once. I have forgotten that culture is not law nor is it the basis on which to build theological principals on. I am fearful that we (including myself) have become ritual based and not scriptural based. I have to return to the Word. I want to live a life motivated by Christ and not one solely based on the law. But I must admit I do not know where to start.
The readings were really great. So many things I have learned, so little time to write about them all. So let’s see what I can fit into a half of a page.
One of the chapters discussed the dangers of consolidation of institutions. Two key statements screamed out to the former “board member” side of me. “In the church, the plea for unity must be understood in terms of the church’s purpose… Unity in goals, as history has demonstrated, need not be defined in terms of decision-making by the few.” In all the quotes that have been shot like arrows at me over the years, I have never seen this one. Now I do realize that this statement was made in the context and along the lines of institutional consolidation. But I truly believe that this can be applied to the way we tend to make decisions on the board, (sometimes just barely making quorum) for the future goals of the church. There are sometimes where we need to put down the book of protocol, the SDA “Mishna”, the church manual and seek what is best for the people. Especially when it comes to planning based on the vision and goals of the church. Many times I have sat on board meetings flabbergasted at the decisions we make that seem to be presumptuous of what the people should want. Business meetings tend to be hostile (to put it mildly) when the board makes “recommendations” while not going the extra mile to research the matter with the very saints we serve. The member at large should be the most important seat on a board. They are the true voice of the people, representing the thoughts of the people. How often do we put emphasis on those members? Since when did we as board members turn to them for reports on how the members feel about a certain topic or asked them what is on the mind of the people that we need to address. But we are very quick to get to the all important treasure’s report. Something to chew on.
Jonathan Burnett
Just what is the Spirit of Prophecy anyway?
This is a question that I have
often wrestled with in my 2nd ½ generation Adventist experience. From
childhood at church I have heard this phrase used when a certain almost
extra biblical authority was needed. This phrase was often used
interchangeably with other phrases such as “Sister White says” or “The pen
of inspiration wrote” or “Inspiration declares”. I can not remember how
old I was when I first came to understand that to think or act in
opposition to the commands or reproofs which followed such phrases was
almost tantamount to knocking on the door of Babylon and asking to be let
back in. How I knew what Babylon was is truly another mystery all I can
say is that I must have been almost bilingual as a child. In any case
this week as we have dwelt on the subject of inspiration, and the Spirit
of Prophecy, I have been able to re-evaluate the working definitions of
these subjects that were created in my formative years.
I had noticed in my private study come across Rev 19:10. After reading it
I began to believe that the Spirit of Prophecy must encompass more than
the writings of Ellen White. However this week I have come to believe
that actually the Spirit of Prophecy means exactly what it says, It is the
Spirit what gives the gift of Prophecy to an individual. A person can
have the Spirit of Prophecy but can not be the Spirit of Prophecy. In
fact for a person to be billed as such is almost blasphemy as you are
giving to them the authority that belongs only to God the Holy Spirit.
The topic of inspiration is also closely related to this. For many
calling Mrs. White the Spirit of Prophecy has unwittingly introduced the
idea of plenary inspiration to Mrs. White’s writings. Many people believe
that her writings in their literal form were given to her word by word.
This posses a problem when it appears at a specific detail here or there
is inconsistent or wrong. The understanding of inspiration which we
learn this week helps to clear this up considerably. The thoughts of the
prophet are inspired and not the vocabulary, although, in the case of Mrs.
White, she was given a supernatural ability to write and speak the
inspired thoughts she had received.
The four Revelations given in class also helped to put into context the
role that Ellen Whites writings play in the great scheme of God’s
revelation to us. Human beings are inspired (theopneustos) revelations of
God as is the rest of creation. The church was also breathed into
existence when the Holy Spirit fell at Pentecost and as 2 Cor 3: 2-3
states the church is a living epistle. The bible of course is inspired
and is the rule of faith and practice and Jesus is the ultimate revelation
of God. All of these are revelation and they are best understood when
they are looked at together. The bible is to be the standard of doctrine
that is Christ centered, biblical and relevant to the world in which we
live.
The topic of the remnant is also one that was discussed a lot in my
childhood. I knew we were the remnant and we were both proud and afraid
at the same time. We had a similar mentality to Elijah after the Mt
Carmel experience. It has refreshing to have the concept of the remnant
put into its proper biblical context this week. I realized that we are
only a small part of a universal remnant movement that started in heaven.
Linda,
I have truly enjoyed reading your post and reflection letter. I especially enjoyed the emphasis that you placed upon the name 7th day Adventist. Our name is a sermon all together and should be broadcasted all over and placed upon everything we do. Thank you for sharing that. You have brought up some other great points as well that have left me pondering over the same topic. My perspective has been living in the States and I have been asking the question for quite some time. Why are there so many different views about Ellen White both good and bad, what has broken our unity on spiritual gifts of the church and pull out the spirit of prophecy from among the list? Thank you for your comments.
What do you think is the main cause for such criticism of Ellen White in the Netherlands?
Do you feel that the US has the same problem with her or do you see them coming from a completely different area?
God Bless,
Jonathan Pawson
Reflection #2
"Thanks for More Light"
This week as I reflected on things discussed in the class one thing that popped out to me that I know was from God was the understanding of what was nailed to the cross or done away with and for what purpose and why. It's awesome how God leads us to truth and the more we study in prayer with the guidance of the Holy Spirit the more light we can receive.
On Thursday we talked about the continuing conflict in the SDA Church concerning the 1888 message Ellen White wrote to Jones and Waggoner on the Law and which law or laws has or hasn't been nailed to the cross or abolished.
This new light made me feel good because I have a clearer understandng of the subject but bad because of the many times I've told people that the Ceremonial law and not the Moral Law was nailed to the cross. Now that I look back I have to acknowledge the many times I made this statement wishing I could say more to help others understand and didn't have the full understanding myself but because I didn't truly understand it myself when studying with non-Adventist I stuck to what I was used to.
I especially felt bad about the times I'd tried to convince a very close friend on this issue who is a member of the Church of Christ. We would get into some pretty deep discussions about it until we decided not to talk about it any more because we weren't getting anywhere with the subject, just frustrated at times with each others concept of it. He was trying to convince me that I was in the wrong denomination and I as a new believer of the SDA church was trying to convince him that I was right and he was attending the wrong church. He was born from a lineage of ministers, his dad was a minister and so were his uncles so he had a lot of Bible knowledge--he was raised in a Christian home and taught of the Bible from an early age. I wasn't so I really didn't know much but what I thought I knew to be the truth I stood up for it so the Ceremonial Law and not the Moral Law being nailed to the cross was one of the truths I thought I needed to stand up for. After all, I had to have a reason for why I kept the Ten Commandments or defend why I attended church services on Saturday and using this theory as a denfense was all I knew. He never accepted it though because he believes that the Ten Commandments were nailed to the cross and because of that Christians don't have to keep them anymore, especially the Sabbath. He's still a memeber of that denomination and know as I sit in class hearing this new light I have to wonder if my misunderstanding is the reason why.
This week it just so happens that I'd been studying the book of Galatians for my evening devotion and while reading the introduction to the book in the SDA Commentary I read that the term "law" in Galatians stands for the entire revelation at Sinai of God's rules for His children. I was stunned at first because I had always heard Pastors of the SDA church say that only the Ceremonial Laws were nailed to the Cross or done away with so for me this was new light. After reading I stopped to pray and asked for the guidance of the Holy Spirit because I thought maybe I was leaning to my own understanding of the theme of the book so I prayed and asked for guidance again on the subject.
After going back over the introduction I reread the book focusing especially on chapters 2,3, and 4. I realized that the issue is not so much about the laws but how they were used by the Children of Israel to gain salvation. The laws were an objective to an end to lead them and us to Christ and no one can be saved by keeping them or obeying them to gain salvation but because we have salvation we should be obedient to the Law of God which Christ gives us the power to do.
When the subject was brought out in class yesterday my soul leaped for joy because I knew for sure that God had given me new light for my soul. I understand know that the misunderstanding of the purpose of the law was done away with or nailed to the cross. It makes so much sense.
I think quite a few of us in the class probably thought like this. What do we do about the many times I or we have told people this theory. Do we try to reach them all to confess our misunderstanding. When Ellen White realized her misunderstanding she made right her wrong. Let's pray about it and ask God for light and pray that everyone we've told this will somehow find the light for understanding on the subject. Lord, thanks for more light!
“Because Ellen G White says so that’s why you shouldn’t do…” Oh the many times I have heard this statement and with blind obedience I listened and followed. The problem would arise when someone would use a quote from Mrs. White that would go directly against another quote that I had from Mrs. White. Sadly, I believed that Mrs. White is shown as one having been a cold hearted legalistic woman bent of sucking all the fun out of life. This first week of class really gave me the opportunity to study this issues that I had with the image of Mrs. White.
I was really impressed with the first week’s lessons and how we had the opportunity to ask the questions that we were having with our understanding of the prophet. The explanation of the defining attributes of a true prophet helped to clarify what a prophet is and what their job entails. We sometimes mix up the prophet with the God of the prophet. There is much unlearning that I am doing to really prepare my self for a better and deeper understanding of Ellen G White and her work.
One issue that really sticks out was our studies on the remnant church and how the misunderstanding of this principle can lead us as a church astray. This brought up questions on the rigid setup of our church, in respect to our work to save the lost. We sometimes get so caught up as Seventh Day Adventists in the addition to the church roster instead of being interested in the lives of the people we are reaching out to. We, sometimes, get so caught up in baptizing them into the “Truth” that we don’t pay real attention to their spiritual walk and their needs.
This reminded me of a situation in my work with the youth of my church in Florida, we set up bible studies with some youth from the community, with a group of bible workers who were training us to be more effective in our out reach. As the bible studies rolled on I realized that the gentlemen we were studying with were becoming anxious to move on with our bible studies, they began to make small jokes about how we were just doing the easy lessons. Now these men, though dressed like those of “the World”, were well versed in bible texts and scripture. They were attending the local Baptist church and are on fire for the Lord. We watched as their interest began to fade due to the fact that we were being trained to stick to the lessons no matter what the person wants. We brushed off their questions on the State of the Dead and on the Sabbath because we had to first build them up to the point where they could not fight against us. This tactic lacked the human element, and instead of listening to the wants of the people we were, as it were, so focused in following the set out route that we missed out on the scenery. So focused were we that we passed up the opportunity to be a good friend to insure what we saw as the main goal (baptism) was accomplished.
This first week’s lectures opened my understanding of the role of the church in sole wining and how our rigid understanding of this set up can allow us to miss out on the beautiful, fluid structure that is more in harmony with what God would like and what the persons of our communities need. The charge then is to strive as a church to stop and smell the roses as we walk with new believers into a deeper truth in Jesus Christ.
Reflection #3
"Just A Thought"
There was a thought that came to my mind after the statement was made about living not to the letter of the law but to the spirit of it. While I understand the statement I thought about how some have related this statement to "Adventist Hot Potatoes." The senario using the Sabbath and going to the beach caused me to think about how some think that living to the spirit of the law (more freedom) and not to the letter of it (bondage)is used as an excuse for the breaking of the law or for a reason to think that this view of the law has brought more freedom from living according to God's law, statutes and commandments. I believe what God says He means. For example, the Forth Commandment says to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy and Isaiah 58:13 tell us how God will bless us if we turn away our foot from the Sabbth, from doing our own pleasure on His holy day. Is going to the beach on His holy day doing ones own pleasure? As I stated earlier, I understand the statement and the scenario. Going to the beach on Sabbath as stated in class would have to entail a person finding a place on the beach to be close to God where there is definitely no one else except the individual or being there with only those who are Sabbath keepers on the whole beach. If that's not the case I believe the individual would be drawn away from the intent of being there because if the other or others aren't Sabbath keepers they would be doing things that aren't lawful to do on Sabbath. Then the mind would be draw away from Christ. Isn't Sabbath keeping a sacrifice to God? The Sabbath is His time and going to the beach especially on a Saturday would be doing ones own pleasure. There are six other days that we have to go to the beach to spend time with God, if we can at that time for that reason and not be disturbed that wouldn't desecrate the Sabbath.
One other thing that some do on the Sabbath and say they are living to the spirit of the law--go to restaurants. Is that pleasing to God? Some think that since we live to the spirit of the law and not to the letter of it if there hasn't been a meal prepared for Sabbath it's ok to go out to restaurants to eat on that day. Isn't that doing one's own pleasure? What's wrong with making the sacrifice to eat whatever is in the cupboards or refrigerator? After all couldn't a meal have been prepared earlier during the week. There are so many other ways we can have a meal without desecrating the Sabbath.
I remember being invited to dinner at a couple's home and at the end of the meal we were asked to join in and discuss "Adventist Hot Potatoes." Some of the topics discussed were of course going to reastaurants on the Sabbath, the wedding ring and wearing jewelry, going to the theater, having cable in the home, and some other issues. These were really hot topics with a lot of different comments, answers and views for why or why not it is lawful to do these things. God's Word and the Spirit of Prophecy was so twisted and misunderstood. I wondered if some of us think some of the Adventist beliefs have changed.
When I was considering becoming a member of the Adventist church I was given Bible studies and the reason given me for Adventist Christians not wearing wedding rings and other jewelry was because we live in the anti-typical day of atonement and just as God told the Children of Israel to take off theirs before they came to Him on that day we are to do the same. I also was told that we are to abstain from all appearances of evil therefore we should not attend theaters. Now I'm wondering, has the Adventist Message changed? Has our Prophet's word changed? Has what Adventist taught about these issues years ago been a lie? Do the principles of God's Word only apply in certain cultures? I know that times change and the way we do things sometimes change but God's Word never changes, and since Ellen White's words were inspired by God it never changes either.
What shall we say then? Does living to the spirit of the law and not to the letter of it make us free from doing exactly what God says to do?
In ending, another thought I had in class was the way to fully understand what God and the Spirit of Prophecy says on subjects and issues is to get all the facts and misunderstandings will be cleared up.
In the readings in section 2 I have seen a whole new side of the Prophet Ellen G White that I have never seen before and to be honest I love what I see. There is so much confusion in the Seventh Day Adventist Church about the writings and sayings of Mrs. White and in this confusion we have lost many of our members. What I would like to do is take a look at some of the points that stuck out to me in this reading and our second week of lecture.
One of the main things that jump out from these studies is the fact that the real Ellen G White is not the stuffy, strict, and mean spirited woman that had been introduced to me in the past. So many in the church speak of her as such a strict and rigid person with no real emotion, like a robot made only to follow the rules and those who don’t follow the laws are to be tossed out to the curb. One quote that really opens my eyes to the heart of Mrs. White was when she states “…self should be hid in Jesus. I wish self to be crucified. I do not claim infallibility, or even perfection of Christian character. I am not free from mistakes and errors in my life.” I think that we as Adventist can learn a lot form this quote, we need to realize that the prophet wants us to focus on God the true light and not her lesser light. This idea should not negate the lesser light but instead when we place her writings in there proper context we are less likely to misquote and defame the prophet and her writings.
Another sign of this humbleness in her ministry was when she wrote about the Cause of sickness. Mrs. White wrote “When Christ healed disease, He warned many of the addicted ones, ‘Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee’ (John 5: 14). Thus he taught that they had brought diseases upon themselves by transgressing the laws of God, and health could only be preserved by obedience” The Ministry of Healing page 113. After reading this I said to myself “AH HA! I have heard this once before”. I really had a hard time moving off this line, “how could she say this?” I said to myself. How can a woman who seems to be sick most of her life say that sickness comes form the sins of the person or their ancestors? Having a mother who is fighting cancer and a sister that struggles with sick-a-cell, and I struggled with this thought how could these things could be their fault. Now what was so awesome about this prophet was that she was willing to fix what she said and fix her mistakes. Ellen White writes later that “I have sinned and yet I love Jesus. I have fallen many times, and yet He has reached out His hand to save me. I have told Him all about my mistakes. I have confessed with shame and sorrow that I have dishonored him. I have looked to the cross and have said, all this He suffered for me. The Holy Sprit has shown me my ingratitude, my sin in putting Christ to open shame. He knows no sin has forgiven my sin. He calls me to a higher, nobler life, and I press on to the things that are before.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2 p.777. We need to show this side of our prophet a woman who understands and loves those who are hurting around her this is the character of God.
Another point that brought Mrs. White into a more human view was the testimony of her financial situation. To see how she, though financially burdened, still made a way to open her home and give to those less fortunate than her. In reading some of the accounts of her situation it is hard to think that there existed anyone in lower financial situation than she, because to me it sounds like she doesn’t have anything in the first place. This testimony speaks volumes to supplying power that our God provides. Then to be in such financial crisis and was able to have saved $30,000, not for her self but to give to the ministry, shows how committed she was to the betterment of the movement more than helping herself.
A great way to see the character of a person is to observe those persons as they deal with life’s trials. Some of us when the storms of life comes up against us we sometimes loose our faith in the Lord but when we really have a good connection to the source of power before our trials when they come they just harden that connection to God. Now dose that mean that there will be no tears shed or moments that we are unsure, NO, but it does mean that when those questions arise the answer is “Jesus lives and reigns.” When we talk about trials, Ellen White really went through a fair share of serious trials with the losses of her sons Henry and Herbert we see her standing up to the test with the heart of a loving mother. Henry’s death speaks volumes to the up brining that he enjoyed due to the fact that this young man uses this opportunity to witness to all he can and to affirm and comfort his family.
There is so much more about the life and ministry of Ellen G White that is now starting to come to light in my readings. I see more how we have really given this woman a bad name by our misuse of her works. Many in the SDA church have used her writings to build boundaries and establish walls between the people, when she was one who wanted to break down those walls of separation. Some teach that she is to be read in the same manner as we do the bible and that her works are on the same level as the bible, while the prophetess asks not to be placed on that level. We have been given a great gift and instead of destroying it we need to learn how to appreciate it.
In reading sections 3 and 4 and this week’s lectures many new ideas have been brought to light and some slipped further into the foggy realms of misunderstanding. The lectures were once again very insightful and thought provoking and to be honest for a guy who likes to talk, most left me a little speechless. In the readings I was also left in a speechless state, sometimes for good reasons and in other places not so good, so let’s take a reflective look back at some of these issues.
In chapter 16 I found it once again fulfilling to see Douglass re-emphasizing Ellen White’s position on the importance of the word of God as the main rule in the Christian life. It is amazing to see how much she wanted her works not to be claimed as infallible, which sad to say many Adventists today don’t follow. I think that it is worth noting that she did not call herself a prophetess but a messenger and in doing so opened the idea to me that maybe she wanted us not to take everything that she wrote as direct prophecies to our time. I find some try to make every sentence that she may have written to a friend or church member as directed specifically to our church. Furthermore, she tells us to allow those that don’t know the word of God to first study the scripture and ground themselves in the truth. She says that her writings come into play with those who believe in scripture and her writings will help them obtain a clearer understanding of the 3rd angel’s message. This opens another question, should pastors in the Adventists faith preach on the authority of the writings of the messenger, like many do today, or on the words found in scripture?
I really enjoyed readings about the visions that she had and how they had a way of bringing those that they were given for, to a deeper understanding of the work of God in their daily lives. One such incident was that of Mr. N.D. Faulkhead. I have had the opportunity to do some surface research on the activates of the freemason movement and how secretive there society is. The simple fact that a woman would know the hand symbols of this organization shows that she had to have received this information from a higher source. To be so accurate on these practices that she would open the eyes of Mr. Faulkhead so wide that he immediately dropped this association is to me remarkable.
This story dose point out another thing that got my attention and that was how easy it is to sway the members of this church of truth then and now. Mr. Faulkhead was a man with prominence in the church and yet he was involved in freemasonry! Well we would say, “That was just one man, that is not the state of the whole church”, but to my amazement I read the whole Indiana conference was lead astray with the “Holy Flesh Movement”. As I read I wondered, how a whole conference can including the President can be led so far off the path of truth. The answer is the same then as today, when we fail to study the word of God we are but way ward sheep looking for a master and willing to accept any that comes our way.
Now the issue that I really have a hard time with is that of the race relations issues that Adventist church faced but unfortunately the book dose little to clear up this issue for me. As an African American with Caribbean ancestry, I fail to see how the actions taken by the Adventist church was helpful to the cause for freedom and equality of the people in the “United” States. I read with an open mind trying to see any clear evidence that the church was actively fighting for the less fortunate “Coloreds” in their community but all I saw were small drops in the bucket. I am grateful however, that they at least made a few statements about the issue and opened a “Black” Collage, but was this standing up to the injustices or just saving face in the black community while not directly offending the “White” congregation.
Now that we are years into the future, can we look back and say that what was done then was worth it due to what we have now. I am still shaky about this due to the fact that the church is now still divided and race relations is just a fraction better that it was then. We have yet to see a Black GC President, and most of the heads of the major organizations of the church today, is still run almost entirely by the Caucasian brethren. Is this necessarily a bad thing, no, but to me I believe that when we speak of a church of diversity and understanding I would think that at least our leadership would represent these ideals.
On the local level I have watch with my own eyes how when too many blacks move into a majority white church the white members move out, in some cases just down the block and starting another church. I think we are lying to ourselves when we try to act as if this issue is not openly present in our church today and until we take time to deal with it, we will sit in a neutral position, unable to move forward. I believe that when outsiders look at our church and its structure, all they see is a church stuck in the dark ages of “Jim Crow”. With black and white conferences what type of witness are we to the diverse communities we serve.
There is so much that we have to learn and so far left to go, I sometimes wonder if we will ever be ready as a church for Christ second coming. How long will we need before we learn that is not a matter of saving face but a matter of serving the Lord in the fullest sense? It dose not matter how many members are in the pew if none are ready to meet the Lord when he comes again. As the old proverb states “action speaks louder than words”, so are we ready for action or more words?
The first week of class was very interesting. We had lengthy discussions and many questions on discerning the gifts of a prophet. The bible has given us many texts to help us understand what a prophet is. Yet the class seemed pretty divided in what the word of God uses to identify who or what a prophet should be.
It appears to me that many of us have our own ideals of what a prophet does. I got the sense that some of us treat the prophets as though they are God and not human beings who represents or communicates to us God’s thoughts. We question their authenticity and believe that as a prophet they should be infallible and not fallible. We seem to forget they too are humans like us and can make mistakes. As I read section II there was a quotation from Ellen White saying she never claimed infallibility, or even perfection of Christian character.
I found this book to be very insightful. I discovered things that I never knew before. For instance, I did not know that Ellen White had a twin sister named Elizabeth. Another amazing fact that I discovered in my reading was the reason Ellen White never went far in her education. I knew that everyone said that Ellen White had up to a third grade education. I never knew that her schooling became impossible due to a massive blow she suffered to the head by a rock.
The author does a good job showing us how a prophet leads a normal life as everyone else does. This book gives us simple examples which Ellen White discusses her life as a wife to James and as a mother to her children. It is amazing to know that though you are called by God that you are still human. This is very interesting to know because the entire examples we have read in the Bible, Jesus was the only one called by God who was perfect from birth to death.
I believe this book has brought out a lot of questions that I am not certain if they will be answered. How can a prophet’s theology of God change so frequently? If the prophet is to be the voice of God to deal with a particular time, how can the people believe what the prophet says when the prophet is also confused by the message the Lord gives? As I continued reading the writer gives helpful examples that I needed to be familiar with, for instance John visions was not always clear to him. We find that he was later give an explanation at that time God saw fit to reveal the rest of the vision.
He gives suggestions on the different parts of Ellen’s life as a profit that we can benefit most, learning from. Messenger of the Lord makes me pay close attention to my lifestyle and the lifestyle of other Seminarians. Many of us are here in the Theological Seminary and we too feel the calling of God on our lives. We have all made mistake here in school and will continue to make human era when we get out in the fields of pastoral ministry, chaplaincy or teaching.
The book has taught me two valuable lessons thus far in my reading of Ellen’s Life. First lesson I found this reading is tailored to teach us that it is vital that we stay connected to God. If E.G. White never stayed connected with God she would have left the faith after 1844’s great disappointment. And when people criticized who she was and her authenticity as a prophet she would have quit. The second lesson that I received from Douglass’s writing of Mrs. White we must take pride in our integrity as ministers of this Gospel. Ellen’s willingness to live for God and do His will, I believe allowed God to do something extra special in an ordinary and fallible woman. That is what makes God, God; He can use ordinary people to do His will.
The second week has progressed into an amazing spin off the first week of classes. I found our discussion on the remnant to be most intriguing. God calls out a certain group to help finish the work, but because we are considered a peculiar people we maintain certain arrogance. The Seventh Day Adventist Church is no different from Ancient Israel, our pride of knowing that we are chosen by God makes us uninviting and no one wants to join our church.
Another important factor that I found in our second week of class discussion is learning how to respect other religions, as well as trying to understand what they believe. I agree that this is the most effective way to evangelize to a community of a different belief system or to someone who believes more in science than they believe in creation. There was a statement made in class that put a lot of things in perspective: “we are the remnant because of our mission not because we are Adventist.” I want to be able to teach that concept to every church that I serve as a pastor. Too often we forget why we are considered great. Like Israel we are falling into the trap of believing that our greatness is of our doing, and not realizing that it is only because of God’s grace that we have a unique identity.
The statement that was made by Paul in 1st Corinthians 7:12 “I speak not the Lord” is interesting. Most of my life I thought everything that was written in the bible was God explaining to His servant what to write. I never knew that some of the writings were just the thoughts of the author. I guess because they understood the dynamics of where they ministered; the things that they stated that were not directly from God were still inspired thoughts because of the relationship they had with God. God gave their words strength.
In my new experience of reading Ellen White there have been quite a few discoveries. I was surprised when I read that in 1840’s the Millerites had their “millennial expectations, were predisposed… to the powerful outpouring of charismatic prophesying, tongues, healings, and other signs and wonders which fulfilled the biblical promise for the last days.”(p.134) Knowing this made me have hope for our times of struggle. I see that God allowed the day of Pentecost to come in Bible times and gift of prophecy in Ellen’s time.
I now believe that there will come a time where God will allow the Holy Spirit to unite us that there maybe another day like Pentecost. It hard to watch God’s people stagnant and there is no change on this earth taking place. God’s word must be delivered that everyone would have an opportunity to know, experience and make a definitive answer to serve Him or not, so that He can come back and take us from this world.
It was astonishing to know why God called Ellen White to be His prophet. She stated that it is because we are unfamiliar with the scriptures and not reaching the bible standard of Christian perfection; if we tried we would not need the Testimonies. I take great comfort in knowing that God could have allowed us to suffer for not trying to stay connected through His word that was already made plain to follow.
I appreciate the fact that God chose another way to help us. He gave us Ellen White to help us defend the word of God and protect us from those that were teaching us false doctrines that was not biblically sound. Ellen White gift was amazing yet scary, she gave an account of having to rebuke a person that was living in sin and going into vision letting people know publicly. She recognized a preacher’s voice which triggered a vision that he left his original family and remarried therefore living an adulterous life.
“Study to show thyself approved” this statement is true in every part of our life. The week began with our first quiz and in was nerve racking yet fun. Our quiz helped me realize that I have learned a lot more than I could imagine. The quiz felt like end time events, everyone was to answer questions upon request. It was a great feeling to know the answers of the questions asked to my fellow classmates. Yet the feeling changes when you are on the spot and you’re not so sure of your answers anymore.
After taking a closer look at the quiz on Monday. I recognized it was the spring board to some of the discussions we had in class. For instance, we pondered on the statement; “know your theology now at the time of peace, so you can stand in time of trouble.” I found this statement to be true from my experience with the quiz. It was difficult to try and retain all the material for class. I could only imagine how much harder it would be to learn or memorize information during the pressure of troubled times.
During the week the class discussions were in interesting especially the three social issues: race, class, gender. “The bible points out that we have a problem with these social issues that we must heal.” It was said that the problems here are signs of Babylon; and we are so busy preaching to the world “come out of her my people.” I was a little confused as to what we must do when trying to evangelize to the world. The lectures show that we must keep everything Christ centered, biblical based and relevant to the world. I understand that we must always remember this cycle in order to effectively reach the masses.
In order for us to make change in this world especially when it involves the social issues such as: race class and gender; we must make things relevant. “Unless an issue is relevant to us we won’t address it.” Too often we evangelize with out recognizing the desires of those living in our neighborhood. It is my hope and prayer that we as a church can learn the needs of our communities. This will bring us closer to them having a way of connection where they would feel like their needs are being met and not ignored. Relevance and recognition of a people group needs show true care and concern for their well being.
Our reading for the week has great significance to me. I was very pleased with the information this book has shared in this section. Most of this book has given brief descriptions of what has taken place overall in Ellen’s life. I read statements that helped me to have a better understanding of the involvement of James and Ellen White and the church movement world wide. “Though they were the human center of a worldwide movement, neither claimed recognition, reward, or even earthly comforts.”
This example of their life is of great significance to me as a minister. Too often we find ministers looking for acknowledgment in ministry and people look to them for answers instead of God. This is a standard that I want to uphold for my ministry. I want to do the work of the Lord without looking for people to adore me, or to base the success of my ministry on the approval and praise of people. “The Whites fearlessly denounced the evils of social order; and they also led tens of thousands in their day to catch a picture of how the gospel brings spiritual, social and physical restoration in this life.” I pray that I will have the balance that they had in their ministry. I appreciate seeing what it would take in terms of dedication, organization, and being spirit led to have a successful ministry.
Evangelista Polanco
The Life and Ministry of E.G.W Professor: Dr. Martin Hanna
Reflection Experience for Week One
During the first three days of classes, I could learn a lot of information about the Spirit of prophecy. First of all, in order to understand the minister of Ellen G.White, we should learn that Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy reveled in the book of revelation 19:10. Also, we should know when a prophet comes from god or not.
The whole Bible testifies of Jesus. He was the fulfillment of the Old Testament. When we study the word of God we have to pay attention to the living word that is the message, and not to the writing word that is the instrument. Both are important, but the living word takes us to see the importance of our mission as Christians.
If we do not have a good relationship with God we will not understand his word. That is logical to think that in order to understand his word, we must to be following what God tell us to do. Also, we should share our knowledge about Jesus, with others that do not know the Gospel.
There are four revelation of the testimony of God. The first is that Christ is the revelation of God. Also, the Scriptures, the church and the cosmos are the revelation of God. In addition, I could understand that Christ is the incarnation, the Scriptures is the inspiration, the church is the illumination and the cosmos is the creation. Furthermore, I could understand that Christ, the Scriptures, the church, and the cosmos are the Word of God. Last, Christ is the ruler, the Scripture is the rule, the church is ruled, and the cosmos is the context.
As member of the church, all of us shoud be a testimony of God. The purpose of God is that we as church illuminate the world. God chose a church to illumintae the world with His word. We understand that the Seventh Day Advesntist church is the institution that God formed as amovement to announce the prophecies that were misunderstood.
Ellen G. White is the messenger that God chose in order to guide His people. The writing of Ellen White are the less light that point to the big light which is the Bible. All of her writings teach us to follow the Scriptures. In the Early Writings she states that the Bible is the rule of faith.
The Bible states when a prophet belongs to God or not. If we look the verses of Isaiah 8:20, Matthews 7:20, and Deuteronomy 18:22, they declare if a prophet follows the law of God, the name of God, and the fruit of following God. As seventh day Adventist we understand that Ellen White fulfill all the requirements as a prophetess. We accept that she is an extra biblical prophet, and her writing guides us to understand the Bible. Also, we understand that the Seventh Day Adventist is the remnant church. God has always had a remnant. Those who have faith and have relationship with God are the remnant, and the purpose of God is to have spiritual remnant not an institution.
To sum up, the Bible is the only, the primary and the final rule that we should follow. The institution have been called for a mission that is to spread the message, not to convert people.
Evangelista Polanco
Experience and reading reflection for week Two.
There were several themes that we could learn during the second week of classes. For example, how careful we have to be when we read the writings of Ellen G. White, how to understand the word "the messanger of the Lord", how to interpret the lesson of the stories of the Bible, the sanctuary and the challenges of the pastors.
When we read the writings of Ellen White, we have to be careful. First of all, we should study her writings in its context as a guide. Also, we should not use her writings as a command. We have to remember that she was an instrument that God used to guide us. Even the Scriptures we have to be careful when we read it. We have to read the thought and then look at the context because a text without a context is a pretext. Thus, every paragraph is part of the book, everything out of the text affect what the context says. To better understand the bible and Ellen White writings we should read the whole context.
Sometimes the messenger of the Lord in the Bible is represented by an angel (Rev. 1:1, 22:16), but as we can look on Malachi 3:1 Jesus Christ is represented as the messenger of the Lord. Ellen White did not state herself as a prophet because people misunderstand the meaning of the word prophet. People are still not well educated to understand the mission of a prophet. If we pay attention what 1Peter1:7-12 stated we would understand the mission of the prophet. People feel more confotable with the word messenger to represent Ellen g. White than the word prophet. A prophet is one who minister the things that the Lord has told them to do. Their work is to preach the gospel guided by the Holy Spirit. What a true prophet do is what God has reveled to him or her. All of us can be a messeger of the Lord. As soon as we know the message of Christ we should share it. Sometime prophets did not understand the message that God told them to teach. One of them was Daniel whe had the vision about the last days of the world.
To interpret the Bible lessons and Ellen White writings we have to be open mind. We should not understand the Bible for our convenience. Therefore the Christianism has been divide in a without number of different churches.
A lot of stories were given as a message of those days or a special person. For example, we have the story of Abraham when God told him to offer his son, his unique son, that message was for Abraham. That story stop there. It is not a final message that have to be continue today. From the same history in the Old Testament, God has a different message for today.
The sanctuary message is symbolic and at the same time is literal. It is symbolic because it represents the one that is in Heaven, and it is literal because it can be seen. The message of the sanctuary is about the presence of God. God wanted to dwell with His people, that was the major focus of the sanctuary message. Other message is primary about communion with God. Everything about the sanctuary was undersood when the prophecy was fulfilled. It was in 1844. God gave to His followers the meaning of the prophecy. Jesus Christ the messiah was ministering in the Holy place, and then at the same very day in the year 1844, He passed to most Holy place. The sanctuary teach us about the judgement and it was a fulfillment of the minister of Christ. Therefore, it was literal and symbolic.
The challenges of the pastor is to confront the problems of the church. The pastor need the Holy spirit in order to stand in ministry. As Christians we need to understand the work of the pastor. They are not in church to be judges. Our challenge is to proclame the message without judgement.
Finally, this week all the readings and experience that I had, helped me to understand better the work of Ellen White as the messenger of the Lord, and to recognize that the Sanctuary was literal and symbolic. Furthermore, everything that I learned is a good experience for me. Now I will share the message with better understanding.
Evangelista Polanco
Reflection Experience on week Three
After we had our oral quiz on Monday 23, 2007, we were reviewing what we studied for the quiz. For the rest of the week some of us were asking questions about Helen White's Spirit of prophecy, the reformation in our church, the visions of Ellen White, the divinity and humanity of Christ, the Scripture, the church and the creation, and quiestions about the moral an ceremonial law.
The spirit of prophecy of Ellen White came from God in order to guide His church to undestand the prophecies. There are five books that belong to the spirit of prophecy , these books are: The Great Controversy, Patriarchs and prophets, Prophets and Kings, desire of Ages, and The Act of the Apostles. These books state the history of the church, and how to have a good spiritual and physical lifestyle.
Everything that is happening in this world, is part of the gospel such as the global warming, and terror around the world. As part of the last remnant church, we the Seventh day Adventists should include these kind of themes in our preachings in a Jesus Christ point. Ellen White saw in vision a small group of people which were keeping the commandments of God. I understand that they are the remnant of the SDA church. People who are inside the church that are following the lamb every where that goes. People that instead of being judges of theirs brothers and of the church, they are sharing what they know about the gospel.
God has given to the SDA the gift of the spirit of prophecy in the person of Ellen White. She stated that if a person study the Bible with desire she or he would not need the testimoies, that is her writings. I think that she was right saying this. When we study the Bible with interest, and desire and prayers, the Lord would gave us understanding of His word, and we won't need any other guide, but we are lazy people that prefer to read Ellen G. White writhngs than to study the Bible by ourselve. There were several characteristics that distinguished her as a real prophet. First, her inconscious of everything around her. Second, she did not breathe. Third, her muscles became rigid. Fourth, she could distinguish in the dark the most brillian objects.
The four revelation of God are human and divine. Christ, the Bible, the church, and the cosmos are human and divine. The four revelation are truly, perfectly, undividely and unmixdly. We can not separate the human from the divinity, them the ultimate reality is God, if people denied God, then the ultimate reality stay there. We can not understand misteries of God unless if it is a miracle or a gift.
The moral and ceremonial law is understood at looking at the cross of Christ. The moral law was not abolished when Jesus Christ died. Either, the ceremonial law was abolished, but it was fulfilled. The ceremonial law is a symbol, a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ,(col.2:17). When Paul said that the law was nailed it to the Cross, this not mean that it was abolished, but no longer under condenation. The moral law was divided in two great commandments. The first one refers to the first four commandments of the ten commandments and the second great commandment refer to the last six commandment of God's law. To love God with all of our heart and to love our neighbors as ourselves. The fourth commandment that refers to the sabbath the day of the Lord is a sign between God and His people in order to remember His creation.
To sum up, we should have relationship with our God Father in order to understand the mission of our church and ourselve mission. Studing the Bible, and using the writings of Ellen White we will understand better our mission.
"Law and Nuance"
Kevin Kim
In the past few days, we have studied Ellen White’s view on the law in scripture. Our class has focused our discussion on three basic areas: the law as school master, the handwriting nailed to the cross, and the definition/difference/distinction between the moral and ceremonial laws. On first glance, the implications appear to be: either we should follow all of the law (including ceremonial), or we should ignore the law (including moral).
But, first, we must understand that the law must be seen through the prism of Jesus Christ. And while his life and ministry are important, it is the cross that stands at the crux of his incarnation. In a sense, the crucifixion delineates between the old and new covenants, as symbolized by the sacrifice of the Lamb and the divine tear of the inner sanctuary veil.
To answer the question of whether the law was abolished, one must keep in mind that primarily the law is a transcript of God’s character. Apart from Him, it holds no resonance. In addition to revealing the character of God, the moral and ceremonial laws have multiple functions. The law prophesies the antitype of the Messiah, sets rules and rituals for human and human-divine relationships, and brings sinners to a realization of their condition.
To answer the question of whether the law was abolished when it was nailed to the cross, one must remember what else was nailed to the cross – Jesus Christ. Yet, no one would ever say that Christ was done away with. Rather than being abolished at the cross, Jesus was fulfilled. Likewise, the law was fulfilled at the cross. In Matthew 5:17, Christ says, “I have not come to destroy the law but to fulfill the law.”
So what is this law? When Jesus refers to the law, He knows it better than anyone since it was He who created the law, wrote the law, shared the law, and embodied the law. The term “law and the prophets” can refer to the entire old covenant (Old Testament). Also, law can refer to the five books of the Pentateuch. Or the law can refer to the ceremonial law of rituals and the moral law of the Decalogue.
First, the role of the law as a schoolmaster has been fulfilled and abolished in Galatians 3. The law was never meant to save, but to lead to the One who saves. Romans 3 states salvation has always been by faith, so keeping the law (moral or ceremonial) never saved anyone. 2 Corinthians 3 states that the letter (of the law) kills, but the Spirit gives life. The chapter even refers to the ministry that brings death was engraved in letters on stone. Even the moral law by itself can only point out sin which should then bring the sinner to Christ.
The law that was nailed to the cross in Colossians 2 is simply the misappropriation of God’s law, both moral and ceremonial. Legalism had so veiled the original intent of God’s law, that only Christ could fulfill it. The spiritual significance of the law was never done away with.
To better understand what was done away with, one must understand what it meant for something to be nailed to the cross.
In Roman society, a sign signifying the crime of the criminal was nailed to their cross. If Christians have been crucified with Christ, then they and all the accusations against them have been nailed to the cross. And as Christ has been resurrected, so too those who believe in Him are also resurrected, and delivered from the record of their wrongs. They now walk according to the Spirit and not the flesh. It was faith all along that saved them.
Ephesians 2 refers to Jesus abolishing the enmity which is the law of commandments contained in ordinances. It was never the law that needed to be changed. It was the misappropriation of the moral and ceremonial laws. The fact that Jesus had to die proves that the law was not abolished, but only the misunderstanding of the law as savior.
The law can be said to be moral, ceremonial, and even natural. There is a distinction, but not a dichotomy. While the moral and natural laws may have existed since creation, the ceremonial was given to fulfill a specific purpose as a shadow of the Reality. The ceremonial law was a part of daily life that pointed to the spiritual significance of daily life. People in the Near Middle East were already killing lambs, so God wanted to take the ordinary experiences of life and show their spiritual significance.
Even today, Christians can remember that Jesus is the bread of life every time they have a meal. It is the cross that truly brings out the holistic meaning of the law in everyone’s life. All of life is moral, ceremonial, and natural if people seek to bring spirituality into everything. The only way this is possible is through focusing on Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Otherwise, Christians will fall into the trap of simply turning off and on their spirituality. Just like the Jews, if the ritual becomes more important than the intent, then the external action becomes the end-all instead of the internal mindset and attitude. Too often the danger becomes – no ritual… no spirituality. There is no conversion of the heart and mind.
As Paul would say, the only circumcision that counts is of the heart and mind. Christ had to come and redefine the law which had been hijacked and abused. Likewise, Christians today must seek a balanced relationship with the Law (Christ). The oversimplified and “either-or” understanding of the law must be abolished. Christ did not abolish the law, He fulfilled it.
Philip Dah
Professor Hanna
GSEM 532
July 16, 2007
Class and Reading Reflection of Week 1
My class experience thus far has been enjoyable and informative. I have learned quite a bit about EGW since I grew up Seventh-day Adventist but this class has already brought new insights. I really enjoyed looking at what is the Biblical teaching of Spirit of Prophecy. I originally had a vague and naive understanding that Spirit of Prophecy meant being able to prophecy about the future. Now I see how it is the testimony of Jesus. This Biblical view is so much more empowering and encouraging. It is encouraging to see that this same Spirit has worked throughout history.
There were several points that came out this week that caught my attention. One is how scripture, the church, nature, and ultimately Jesus Christ are a revelation of God. The illiterations of Incarnation, Inspiration, Illumination, and Creation are too much technicalities for me but nevertheless, it is amazing to see how God’s character is revealed in many ways.
Smaller points that came out that I also thought were valuable to note was how we must be careful that we are not so amazed of the miracle of EGW that we get stuck on that and forget that EGW’s message was to point us to Christ. I would also add that we must be very careful and prayerful that our chracter does not present EGW or Jesus Christ in the wrong way. I have seen many come to disregard or even hate EGW and when speaking with them carefully we came to discover that their view came from the person that told them of EGW. We cannot talk about EGW or Jesus in a non-loving and cold way or that is what the listener will think of them. For those who argue against felt needs I tell them that a person who has been shown that they are loved will be much more eager to learn about why we should be vegetarian.
A study of the remnant also brought many new insights. I am shocked at some of the views I grew up with and I see that there is much need for growth in the Seventh-day Adventist church. The first big eye opener was the view of what remnant means. I struggled with whether our church is the remnant because of the way it was portrayed to me when growing up. I was taught that our church was the remnant in a way that only those who are Seventh-day Adventist will be saved. It was either one was “in” or “out”.
Looking at how God has worked in history with his remnant gives much encouragement that God is working today and in the future. I believe that our church has been called for a special purpose. We must spread the news of the Three Angels. I am afraid that sometimes we do forget that it is about Jesus. But I am encouraged to see that we are in a class that is willing to discuss and ponder over these matters and to go forth from this school to call all to Christ.
The short discussion on the structure of the SDA church was informative. I did not realize that our church was made of many satellite organizations. It was encouraging to see that only through God’s power could such a conglomeration stay together and work together. I am also encouraged to see that we do not necessarily have to work for the GC but that God can call us to another supporting organization or to start a new ministry.
I enjoyed the reading very much. Learning about EGW personally has made her wiriting more personal and real. It is hard to realize sometimes that she was also a regular person who lived as a human as we do. It was especially hard to learn how she lost two sons and how she fainted at the funeral of her newborn. It was very encouraging though to see how strong in faith her teenage son was while dying of pnemonia. I was very amazed that even while on the brink of death he testified of Jesus and was a positive influence to those around him.
Overall, this past week has brought many new insights and I pray that God will continue to bless our class with wisdom and that He will continue to speak to us through His Scriptures.
Philip Dah
Professor Hanna
EGW
23 July 2007
Reaction of Week 2 and Reading
This past week has been enjoyable, especially the discussions. However, I need to put more effort to participate in the discussions. Again, I learned that there is so much more that I do not know, even growing up as Seventh-day Adventist and that many of the views that I had growing up are contrary to what is in the Bible.
The first thing that caught my attention I in class was looking at our Fundamental Beliefs #11 where all those who are of Christ are part of His universal church. This is contrary to what I learned growing up where I was taught that only those in the Seventh-day Adventist are part of His church. I am as much to blame in this aspect but I still feel that the area where I grew up did little to promote the study of the Bible and EGW and of our church and instead promoted just listening to what those in authority said.
I also noted on Monday when looking at 1 Corinthians 11 how when looking closer at the text we see that Paul was actually saying that both men and woman are equal since both are of God. I did not realize that the same text that many use to promote woman having a lesser role is actually misread. I wonder however, how we can carefully teach those in the church without offending or starting huge disagreements.
Looking at how EGW calls herself a messenger was interesting since that I believe it is still relevant today. Among my peers, who are not in the seminary, the status of EGW is still a very touchy subject especially since many of them had negative experiences with EGW. Not because of her writing but because of people who were quoting her. Having a Biblical understanding of messenger allows us to show that God is definitely using her but at the same time as not to offend some. I also especially noted how God uses Spirit of Prophecy uplift the church to a better level and how we must be careful not to let the newer level of 100 years ago to become the norm for today. I am encouraged knowing that God can speak today to bring us to even newer levels with Him.
Finally this week in class I was blessed when we looked a little at the sanctuary message. I also believe that it does not have to be an either or situation and that in reality all things can have both real and symbolic meanings. I think this supports that people do not discuss topics solely based on an intellectual basis but also have emotional and personal aspects that affect how they believe. I also especially noted how we can answer the question of what happened in 1888. It was totally new although very plain to see that what happened that was so great was the event of the Great Disappointment itself where God’s character and work was revealed in greater light to mankind.
I am still completing the reading of Section III but one chapter that especially touched me was the one on timely instruction and predictions, especially the part of “visions directed to secret problems”. This touched me because looking back on my life and even very recently I can see that God has intervened to save me from choices that would not have been good. And I am very thankful for His intervention. Some of these choices were not necessarily moral choices but in direction of career and how I was going to spend my life. After reading this chapter my eyes were opened to see that my choices did have huge affects on my spiritual health.
I also noted how EGW said that the rise of papal power would happen in the USA. This is crucial because I remember some doubt, even in myself, when I was young growing up. However, I firmly believe it today and I believe that there is strong evidence even more recent that what is included in the textbook.
Philip Dah
Professor Hanna
GSEM 532
July 29, 2007
Reflection Paper of Class/Week 3 and Section IV of Reading
This third week has been another informative and enjoyable week. The discussion style of class is enjoyable, especially to hear the opinions and perspectives of one’s classmates. The quiz style was also a relief to the regular methods for quizzes and provided a creative way for the professor to promote studying.
The class discussion on “coming out” was noted because it was encouraging to realize that God uses people and institutions despite their faults. It was also a new perspective that God is sad when a people’s heart is so hardened that He must form a new institution. It is also a warning to us that we must not harden our hearts toward God. I was able to more clearly see that the final coming out would be a spiritual one. One final note was that it was important to see that other issues such as race, gender, and family are just as much signs of Babylon as Sunday keeping.
I especially noted the discussion on sin because it made clearer in my mind how the problem is that we do not recognize that we’re a creature. Thus we are wholly dependent on God and must pray everyday as Jesus did when He was here on Earth. This tied in with our studies in another class, Introduction to Old Testament. There we learned that without a relationship with God we eventually self corrupt ourselves. Eventually as we self corrupt we begin to hurt others around us and at that point God has to intervene to protect people.
I also found interesting how we noted that Jesus took vacations and how Jesus was tempted in all manners and so must have been attracted to women. I realize that I must challenge myself in my preconceptions of possibly making Jesus less human that he really was. I remember also as a child asking my teacher why did James White die so young. I found it hard to believe as a child that someone who worked so hard for Christ could die early. I now realize that we must work hard but not overwork ourselves where is hurts us physically and that rest is part of God’s design as well.
The discussion about the law was most interesting. It brought to my mind the story of Mary Magdalene when she was about to be stoned. Then Jesus said he who is without sin cast the first stone. I find we easily can talk to others about their faults without realizing we have faults as well. I also thought of Matthew 5 where Jesus said that I do not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. He also fulfilled it with the new light that he brought to the law. For example he said being angry without cause puts one in danger. So he instructed that if one is angry at you to first reconcile with the one who is angry before worshiping because he is in danger. This Jesus fulfilled because we were first angry at God, and many of us even called Him names. Yet Jesus came to us to reconcile with us even while we were angry at Him. I think that if we see the spirit of the law which is God’s character of love, we cannot deny the law by any means. I believe the Ten Commandments is really a simplified version for humans to see but the God’s law is really so deep and perfect we can only barely glimpse how wonderful it really is.
The reading of Section IV was encouraging in that we can see how God has worked to guide the Seventh-day Adventist church. To see the many issues come up such as with the 1888 general conference and see God work is encouraging for our future. We can believe that God will guide us and give us the wisdom we need to be future leaders. It was also encouraging to see how God used EGW in Australia even though it was not necessarily His calling at first.
Reflection Paper Week 2
Within this first week of class I have been able to enjoy some aspects of the class. I the following paragraphs I will give my reflection of this class within the first week in both reading section 2 and Appendix P and also the interaction within the class.
Personally I have been in the Adventist Church all my life but really never have been introduced to sister White as I have in this first week of this class. I personally did not study much of her books or even received the interest of studying many of her writing but within just this first week I have learned so much of her life that has sparked an interest of learning much more of what she has to offer for my own spiritual life and the lives of other I can encounter.
One aspect that I really appreciated learning this week was the aspect of what are the biblical aspects of prophets. I really appreciated how Dr. Hanna presented the four revelation of first Christ, second the Scriptures, third the church, and lastly the creation. Nevertheless, all these revelations work together for the great mission of the journey of salvation of the fallen human kind. In addition, being able to distinguish prophets for me was very important because there are so many people that say that they are prophets and now being able to distinguish the fake from reality is essential. In learning this process I was able to learn that the prophet should be a person that is Christ center, biblical, and relevant to the days that we are living. With these easy steps to determine a prophet I could notice and measure everyone that declares that he/she is a prophet. Nevertheless, as studying more the writing of Sister Ellen G. White I have notice that she could be considered a prophet.
On the other hand, while reading the book Messenger of the Lord by Herbert E. Douglass I was able to further understand who Sister White was and her journey in being a prophet. Interestingly, Sister White was probably not the perfect person as a prophet in many of the human eyes, but thank God that He is the one who choose who to use and not us humans. I really enjoyed learning about the condition of Sister Harmon at that time. When at an early age suffered a tragic accident of a blow to the head in which she had to stop her education another human impediment of being a prophet but not for God. Once more I could see that Sister White was destined n being a prophet even when all the odds and human capability is against it. On the other hand, I really enjoyed seeing that Sister White was not a perfect woman and that God did not protect her of any harm. Sister White did suffer hard time but the difference of Sister White and many other that had the opportunity was that she was dedicated and committed to the will of God. One of the most impressive part o her suffer that impacted me the most was she lost her little boy Herbert. The description of seeing her child die was very close to my heart. Nevertheless, I also realized that Sister White was a person that was sensible to depression and mental anxiety of all the work that she did. Overall, I realized that Sister White was a person just like me. As a result, she got sick, she was a mother with hard times like any other mother, she missed her husband like any other woman would, she had temptation like any other person, she was a well known speaker like I can be, but she had a special gift that only God chose her and she excepted which was the gift of prophesying in which I do not have. Nevertheless, I also realize as God gave Sister White the gift of prophesying He has given me some other gifts that I should follow the example that Sister White gave me of being dedicated and committed to do God’s work.
In summary, I realize that Sister White is not a God or any where close to Him but is a servant that dedicated her life in the hand of the Master. As a result, I realize that if I let God guide my pathways, the same ways that Sister White let Him guide her pathways, I to can be known as a person that reflected the character of God also in my life.
Reflection Paper Week 3
Through out this week I have been able to understand how the people has misunderstood Sister White’s writing by just taking quotation and not really looking at the situation that Sister White was writing what she did. In addition, as a child I was almost instructed that everything that Sister White had to say was inspired and had to be obeyed as if it was like a law from God. On the other hand, within the reading and also in the teaching of this week I was introduced to the truth that not everything that Sister White wrote is inspired, but everything that she wrote should be consider and respected. In being an Adventist since birth I still remember my father using the Bible as a sword to kill a person when he/she is doing wrong things and many times using it out of content. I really appreciated the illustration of the text without a context is a pretext.
In reality, even growing up in the Adventist Church, in which is known as one of the religions that study in depth the scriptures, I never was taught to study the scriptures in this context. As a result, we need to take each text and studying the meaning of this by pealing it as an onion. Nevertheless, in Sister Whites writing we have to do the same. In reading her writings we have to see the text but not just see this on the surface but study the history of the text and continue to test the writing to see if the text is first Christ centered, biblical, and relevant to the day that we live. As a result, when reading the Scriptures and also Sister Whites writings it is vital to understand that everything in the text is not by the letter but by its context. Nevertheless, even Sister White herself criticized people in using her writing and just using part of her writing for their benefit. On the other hand, the other aspect that really interested me in the reading was that Sister White sometimes did not remember her dreams until the proper time to be used. In reading this information with the problem that Sister White already have, with the people incorrectly understanding her message, I believe that God did not permit Sister White to remember her dream until the proper use is needed to conserver a little bit of her writings. In addition, many of her vision were given to her precisely at the time needed for the enlightenment and growth of the Adventist Movement.
Nevertheless, even though Sister White knew that she was a Prophet of God she did not wanted to be named the Prophet but better the messenger of the Lord. I really enjoyed in learning that Sister White was much more interested in directing the people to see Jesus than having the name of a Prophet. As I see even today in which people are more interested in the titles of the degree after or before the name instead of the love of the souls that God has commended for them. The humbleness of Sister White really has turned my perspective of her. Nevertheless, as a Prophet or what she liked to be known as a messenger of the Lord, she chose not to be on the front line in the building of the churches main doctrine as her husband James White, Bates and others that she considered much more of a theologian than her. On the other hand, this does not underestimate the great role of a guide in maintaining in the right path with the direct communication of God by her dreams and visions. Personally I found in reading how humble and at the same time powerful in accepting the challenge of being the messenger of the Lord, really attracted me to respect her more as a Prophetess.
Reflection Paper Week 4
In reflecting back on what I have read and heard within this week what really impressed me the most was the issues that Sister White was facing in institutionalizing of the Adventist Organizations. In addition, Sister White foresaw the work that the health principles and the spiritual principle could do when they work together to bring spiritual and physical healing to the people. These are two major issues still within the Adventist communities. Interestingly, I have had some bad experience with the Adventist Healthcare System in which with this reading has given me the impression that what happen to Kellogg could be happening right now. Unfortunately this week I was not able to attend two classes because of health issues. As a result, I will be demonstrating a little more of the reflection of my reading than the class discussions because of the lack of information I was not able to have because of my absence. Nevertheless, the two days that I was able to be there I really enjoyed the lectures of how God is human and divine at the same time.
In thinking of the overall thought of Sister White’s liking of the Adventist becoming an institution was that she was against it. In fact, she believed that the pastors were not made to be over churches and become care-givers of the church. Sister White was very convinced that when pastor would take the role of care-giver instead of missionaries that the churches would get sick and eventually die. On the other hand, within class I was able to further understand that God’s wants to reform us not to produce a new church but the hardheadedness of us does not allow God to reform the church so he has to create a new one. I ask myself would the Adventist church be the chosen church or would our hardhead ness force God to create a church that would follow His ideas and follow it thru? On the other hand, I also believe that God is a orderly God that looks out for His people. Nevertheless, in the times that the church became an organization I just think that the organization formed use instead of the movement forming the organization. What made the Adventist movement special was the different strategies of mission minded and not only church minded and when we became an organization I think that the mission minded started to slip away. As a result, that is why Sister White was so opposed in institutionalizing with this mind set. Nevertheless, the health principles that Sister White and Kellogg brought to the organization were vital to distinguish ourselves from many other organization and denominations. On the other hand, Sister White was very concern that this new light would be used to glorify God not man. Nevertheless, that is why Kellogg’s idea of separating the health principle from the spiritual principle where not welcomed by Sister White. On the other hand, I ask myself are we as an organization really sticking to the counsel of Sister White in the health principle of the organization of healthcare system. In other words, is our healthcare system really reflecting the character of God or is it another venue of income for the Adventist Organization. I believe that Sister White always envision the health principle as a tool to bring other to the healing of their physical and spiritual problem and bring them closer to God. Nevertheless, I have seen in Florida Hospital people that are Adventist working on Sabbath as people that are non-Adventist having Sabbath off and when the Adventist ask to have the Sabbath off it is denied. Now how can that help this brethrens spiritual life? In addition, we have chaplains that are non-Adventist teaching our Adventist chaplain in how to minister to the patients in our own healthcare system that was brought to light by our Prophet. Figure that one out? Now on the other hand, just last month I was in Peru in a missionary trip and I had to take my son into the Adventist clinic and their mind set was totally different. Their mind set is to help people in a missionary way. I met a pastor that after he had studied he asked the clinic what was the most need in the clinic and they told him that they needed an anesthesiologist and he went back to school and became an anesthesiologist. Now everyday when he works as a doctor he also helps the spiritual need as a pastor. On the other hand, the chaplain there are ordained and expected to baptize people for the Lord. I believe the Sister White was so defensive on the institutionalization because she knew that the day we focus in organization rather than mission we would loose our identity.
Class Summary
Week 1
I like to discuss at least three points that were processed in my mind this past first week. First thing, the test of a prophet. The second topic will be on a question that was asked by one of my ex-church members. The last topic will be what we discussed this past Wednesday regarding the message or purpose of the remnant.
I had to take this class for my undergrad and even though a lot is being repeated, I am still enjoying the class. My undergrad professor that taught this class discussed also the tests of a genuine prophet. However he added another test, which made it to five tests in total. On the other hand I don’t think it is necessary. The fifth test that he placed was found in Deuteronomy 18:8-14. Basically it describes that a servant of the Lord should have nothing to do with an occult. I can understand what he was saying, because sometimes prophets, like Abraham, Moses, and Elijah portrayed supernatural powers. I think this fifth test goes hand in hand with the two tests already stated in the book and in this class: Agreement with the Bible and the Orchard (fruit) Test. It is the Bible that gives us principles and rules of what we can do and not do. This passage in Deuteronomy is one of the not to do’s.
There is also a question that a church member had asked me last year that came to me again during last week. He asked me about how Ellen White became to be a prophet. Before God came to her, we are told that God gave visions to two other men. One of them, Hazen Foss, and he basically rejected God’s call. What disturbed him was that there has never been a prophet that has rejected God’s call, even if the prophet wanted to, God had always made them do what he wanted them to do. I told him that it did not bother me that God did not force or do something out of the ordinary to change Mr. Foss’ mind. I believe Mr. Foss had all the knowledge he needed to know that it was God that was talking to him. If he rejected it, he knew that God was a God of choice. He is not going to force anyone. If they choose to reject Him and His message, be prepared for the consequences. What do you think about this?
Now I would like to discuss what was shared in class on Wednesday; the important roles of the remnant church. We know we have a message to proclaim and that message is the three angel’s message. But what I found out in my ministry, we as a church can be very proud, egoistic with our calling. It reminds me of the disciples, some were with Jesus because they wanted to be part of the so called worldly kingdom that they thought Jesus was going to establish here on earth. This type of attitude and misinterpretation can be dangerous. I constantly have to remind members that we are here to bring people to the feet of Jesus. Many want to bring people to the Sabbath truth, and I remind them that we need to introduce them to the Lord of the Sabbath. One key text that I use is Matthew 25:14, where it says that once the gospel is preached to the whole world, then Jesus will come for the second time. Now, it does not say, once the Sabbath is preached to the world Jesus will come. It is the gospel, and Paul defines it in 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4. He says that the gospel that saves is Jesus dying and resurrecting, the sacrifice that saves us from our sins. Once the gospel has been on the forefront, then comes the time when our obedience will be put to the test. This is where the remnant will have to step up like never before and proclaim present truth (3rd angel’s message) like never before.
Class Summary
Week 2
I was noticing in the book that Ellen White wrote and left behind about 100,000 pages of published and unpublished materials. The book says she is thought to be “the third most translated author in the history of literature, its most translated woman writer, and the most translated American author of either text. When I ponder on this, I see a miracle of God. Ellen White and the messages that He used through her were so important for Him to give to us, but also important for us to receive. For instance, Steps to Christ has been translated in 140 languages. I see here that God is searching for lost souls. Sadly, we have an enemy that is also trying to spread out evil. Satan has a “messenger” today and her name is J.K. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter books. I don’t know if it is true but I heard that she passed a few “records” of what Ellen White use to hold. Not that the record is important but this shows me that Satan is desperate and knows that he has very little time left. Millions of children are reading her books. I am sad that Satan is using children to brainwash into darkness and stray them away from the True Light. This tells me that our very near future does not look good and I don’t think I need to explain why.
In class and in the book (Sec. 3, ch.) 14 we discussed that at times Ellen White would publicly verbally discipline people. I found this very interesting and also troubling. Troubling because there are many today that prophesy to be prophets and this is one of the practices they do. In Mexico and in other Latin countries, I hear of people who do this. This I believe comes from the devil as the textbook mentions. Yes, again like the book says, I do believe there are moments where one needs to be publicly exposed, but that is usually when it’s the last straw where a person is about to commit the unpardonable sin. I believe however that one needs to go first to the offender of the law one to one privately, and tell them directly. Ellen White did do this.
In Ellen White times, sin was confessed openly, not to embarrass but to help one another with the heaven burden. It is sad that today we as children of God,, and as sisters/ brothers in Christ no longer cannot share one another’s burdens and more specifically our sins. They use to be accountable to one another. Sin was to be ceased in one’s life and the way to do it was to confess to one another so that your brothers and sisters could pray for you and keep you accountable. I like that. God call us to carry one another’s burdens. It is Satan’s work of finding ways of keeping our struggles to ourselves.
Friday’s class was interesting. We discussed Ellen White and Galatians, moreover the ceremonial and moral law. The topic stirred me up when Professor Hanna shared that the ceremonial law was not abolished. But I started to understand where he was coming when he took more time to explain the spiritual aspect of the ceremonial law. We still celebrate certain in aspects the ceremonial rituals, for instance the Lord’s Supper.
During class I read this quote from the web: When type met antitype in the death of Christ, the sacrificial offering ceased. The ceremonial law was done away. But by the crucifixion the law of Ten Commandments was established. The gospel has not abrogated the law, nor detracted one tittle from its claims. It still demands holiness in every part. It is the echo of God's own voice, giving to every soul the invitation, Come up higher. Be holy, holier still.-- Review and Herald, June 26, 1900. Notice she said this after 1888. Here she says the ceremonial was abolished and the Ten Commandments was established. But as I pondered more on this concept, the main point here is the antitype being met by the Type. The Type abolished the physical ceremonial law, but not the spiritual, as I understand. So yes, it is important that we are careful how we use how the ceremonial law was abolished. In certain aspects it was done away with and in other ways, it still continues.
I hope to continue with this topic this coming week.
The life and ministry of E.G. WHITE
Reflection Report 1
- The discovery of a woman and God's messenger named E.G.White
I believe that through the human religious history, there was always a person who demonstrated God’s will whatever the situations and costs were. As Moses had to see God’s glory when it’s almost passed by, we might feel the legacy of a historical being after he’s passed away.
Taking lectures and reading the textbook, I came to encounter so many questions that I haven’t ever thought of especifically before I take this class in the seminary; who is E.G. White?, what did she do?, why did she have to live such life?, and what meaning does her existence have to SDA and to myself? etc.
Before I take this class and read the textbook, E.G.White was simply a woman who prophesied God’s will toward human beings to me. She didn’t come to me as a person who knows human difficulties or discouragement. She reminded me of almost a person with a divine nature and a perfect prophetess with an image of holiness being away from the human circumstances. I know it’s because of my insufficiency of knowledge about her. But I could realize how much the existence of E.G. White could be misunderstood to non-SDA members when even a SDA like me has this kind of shallow and misleading concept about her as a person, her life and her ministry. So I came to realization that I, as an SDA, need to know and clarify the significance and meaning of her life and ministry because she is not just the messenger of the Lord who carried God’s will to human, but also a wonderful model who lived the Words despite of such a lot of tasks for God to every Christians who have been living the life in the time of turmoil like the time that she had lived.
I’m so happy because that I could break down the walls that I set up about the concept of Christianity through this lecture. I could learn and certify that the very basic and the most important concept such as Christ’s love and the way of spreading it don’t need to be limited by the institutional doctrine. God's love is far beyond the human understanding. God is so merciful and caring that He sent a messenger who lived her life making the best out of her heavenly mission for His people like wandering sheep and wanted to show how to live a Christian life in full freedom.
I believe that there still can be a lot of thought-provoking issues about E.G.White's life and ministry but I can be sure that God is still using her as His tool for this time of confusion for the people who try to find the truth which is Christ, who died on Calvary through her inspired writings and the record of her life.
The life and ministry of E.G.White
Reflection paper 2
-The rediscovery of truth through God’s messenger
I’ve always wondered that why E.G.White’s messages were needed when we believe that the Bible is the only true guide in all matters of faith and practice? Reading the section 3 of the textbook, I could find the reason for my question. It is not for a new rule of faith, but for the “comport” of His people, and to “correct” those who err from Bible truth. It is such a great comfort that her messages were given for comfort.
After 15 years later since my baptism, I know and believe that her messages could help and save a lot of SDAs and non-Christians from the misunderstanding about the gospel if they had studied the Bible with reading E.G.White’s writings together. I understand some crucial points out of the lessons which E.G.White wanted to share with the Christians through her writings from the bottom of my heart.
I believe that E.G.White’s self-awareness as a messenger is very important so we could fully accept her as God’s messenger. The author of the textbook, Douglass, indicates E.G.White as a listening messenger under the title of Section III. He describes that she understood herself to be a “frail instrument. . . a channel for the communication of light” and she claimed to be simply a messenger of God, not a prophet or a leader. And He refers to E.G.White’s thinking about of her own writings, which she never claimed that her writings were to supersede the Bible. She firmly believed that God was using her as His last-day messenger, she saw herself as having two roles:To the general public, an evangel of appeal and warning, and to the Adventists, a counselor-teacher. I find the balance and harmony which are the characteristics of heavenly truth in E.G.White’s teachings and her character which are demonstrated in her life.
These days E.G.White started to come to me as my role model beyond the difference of era and culture. Definitely, she must have been a very strong person to bear such heavy task from God. But reading the textbook, I could realize that she was a frail woman who felt overwhelmed with heavenly calling. The author writes that when she had to deliver reproof, she would shrink from her prophetic duties and recalled that she have felt for years that if she could have her own choice and please God as well, she would rather die than have a vision. How heavy the heavenly task which was given to her would have been!
I believe truth is extremely simple and shown so clearly to us. But the trip to get to the truth is so hard and rugged in this world of deception and confusion. It will be so hard for us alone to try to find the truth. We need gracious help so we can find and keep the truth as it is and press on to our heavenly home with it. So our Gracious Abba Father sent this woman of truth for our own sake.
For me, E.G.White’s life and the teachings in her writings means a kind and tender counselor which is an invisible spiritual mentor to me. I want to give my warmest and greatest appreciation to my Savior, God for introducing me this wonderful role model as a Christian woman, wife, mother, neighbor and God’s servant.
God used E.G.White as a great tool of giving the life-saving messages for the people of this last time through realistic and direct contacts with her.
"Glory! Glory! Glory!”
The life and ministry of E.G.White
Reflection paper 3
-The discovery of the true picture of God through a devoted servant
“The goal of redemption is not forgiveness but restoration; the purpose of the gospel is to restore all that was harmed by sin, to bring men and women back to their original state, step by step.”
The more I read the textbook, the more I came to find and realize the life and the thoughts of one woman who had lived and was used greatly and totally by God for dying souls without knowing God, and for His Kingdom. And I’m surprised and absorbed with the truth, knowledge and wisdom found in the mine of the heavenly treasures that she opened for all mankind.
This section of this book is mainly dealing with E.G.White’s thoughts and principles about health and education based on the great controversy theme. The Great Controversy Theme is the conceptual key in understanding humanity’s greatest questions and in revealing the purpose of God’s strategy of saving mankind. E.G.White fully understood God’s intention toward humans. So she could unfold the mysterious truth about health and education inspired by God and also clarify the definitions of major doctrines.
She suggested that limited ideas of the character and purpose of God can lead to limited ideas of the atonement. If we don’t understand the truth involved in the Great Controversy, we can have a distorted picture of God. Because she understood the Great Controversy Theme, she could clearly teach on the problems of suffering.
If we have an incorrect picture of God, our early life can be ruined and we will lose the eternal life forever. If we fail to have a right image of God, We might think of Him as a God of suffering and punishment. We would live a life of slavery in the misconception of God when our life can be the one full of joy of serving Him. How crucial it is to know God as a God as He is for salvation!
There are the answers for everybody who asks about the reasons of the sufferings in life. E.G.White said:The trials of life are God’s workmen, to remove the impurities and roughness from our character....The Lord will work for all who put their trust in Him. Precious victories will be gained by the faithful. Precious lessons will be learned. Precious experiences will be realized. “The trials of life” that could destroy all hope are turned around by God, if He is asked, and made His “workmen” for each person’s spiritual growth. And E.G. White put suffering for truth’s sake in its proper perspective:”And of all the gifts that Heaven can bestow upon men, fellowship with Christ in His suffering is the most weighty trust and the highest honor.”
We’re such fragile beings who can survive with God’s powerful grace every moment. But we’re also the beings who can have fellowship with Christ in His suffering with His saving grace.
We can reach the highest possible degree of excellence which is the degree of carrying Jesus’ Cross for serving other people through our totally surrendered life in Christ. Through such life, we could demonstrate God’s character which are benevolence and love fully to all the universe.
‘Who is God to me?’ and ‘What am I to God?’-These questions with countless answers in the various scenes of our life will lead each one of us to a life-time and eternal journey with God.
O God, create in us your heart. . .
Response to Bae, jeong-a
The life and ministry of E.G.White
Reflection paper 3
I liked the way she talked to God in the last sentance. I would also like to say to God that I want a clear heart from Him.
I think she picked up some good quotes from E.White. Yes, I wonder too that why do we have to suffer when we believe in the Lord. But I learned that trials are God's tool to make us better person. But I wonder if there is any other reasons why He puts us in test?
I learned that the gospel is to restore us to our original state, where we did not have any sin.
As I read the Bible more and more, I would like to see clearer picutre of God.
Response to toru hasegawa:
How to present/defend the authenticity of E.G. White
Reflection on the second week lecture
I was surprised to read that even non-Adventists Christians find blessings in the writings of E.White.
I liked the way he placed himself in the non-Adventist perspective as well, so that it would be easier for Adventists to understand their difficultness to accept E.White as a prophet.
Yes, even some Adventist do not pay careful attention to the writings of E.White. But as people read her book for themselves, I believe that they would realize she was infact a prophet.
As he mentioned, even the Bible writers might have used other sources to clearfy what he was inspired to write. Therefore, the fact that E.White used other sources would not make any issues.
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