Ellen White, Scripture and Theology

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Ellen White, Scripture and Theology

• Denis Fortin
• June 22, 2005
• SEEDS Plus!

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Ellen Whites recommendation

• In 1851, at the end of her first booklet, Ellen
  White stated
• I recommend to you dear reader, the Word of God
  as the rule of your faith and practice. By that
  Word we are to be judged (EW 78).

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Take it as it is

• I take the Bible just as it is, as the Inspired
  Word. I believe its utterances in an entire
  Bible.. . . . Men of humble acquirements,
  possessing but limited capabilities and
  opportunities to become conversant in the
  Scriptures, find in the living oracles comfort,
  guidance, counsel, and the plan of salvation as
  clear as a sunbeam. . . .

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Take it as it is

• No one need be lost for want of knowledge,
  unless he is willfully blind. We thank God that
  the Bible is prepared for the poor man as well as
  for the learned man. It is fitted for all ages
  and all classes. (Ms 16, 1888 in 1 SM 17-18)

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The presence of God

• In the Bible the will of God is revealed to His
  children. Wherever it is read, in the family
  circle, the school, or the church, all should
  give quiet and devout attention as if God were
  really present and speaking to them. (5T 84)

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Books on the Bible

• Conflict of the Ages series
• Patriarchs and Prophets
• Prophets and Kings
• Desire of Ages
• Acts of the Apostles
• Great Controversy
• Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing
• Christs Object Lessons
• Ministry of Healing
• Education

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Only devotional writings?

• In recent years, many people have claimed and
  argued that Ellen Whites writings were primarily
  devotional and as such not intended for doctrinal
  and theological guidance that because she was
  not a trained biblical scholar, or exegete, we
  should not view her writings as more than
  devotional books.

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Only devotional?

• Many of Ellen Whites books were pastoral in
  nature
• Testimonies for the Church
• Many books of counsels
• Other books were more philosophical and
  practical
• Education
• Ministry of Healing

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Only devotional?

• Are Ellen Whites writings on biblical stories
  and themes, such as the Conflict of the Ages
  series, only devotional?
• How did Ellen White use Scripture?
• Was she able to think theologically and to
  express her writings within theological
  categories?

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Primarily a commentator

• In her writings, but primarily in her Conflict
  of the Ages series, Ellen White commented on
  the biblical story from the origin of sin in
  heaven to its final eradication from the universe
  after the millennium. She articulated her
  thoughts around major themes great controversy,
  love of God, and salvation in Jesus.

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Types of biblical interpretation

• Typologies
• Moralisms
• Character sketches
• Biblical analogies and parallelisms
• Spiritual warfare
• Exegesis

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Typology

• A typology is to understand or perceive a person
  or event in the Old Testament as a figure or
  illustrationa typeof something or someone in
  the New Testament or in the Church.

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Elijah a type of the remnant

• Elijah was a type of the saints who will be
  living on the earth at the time of the second
  advent of Christ and who will be "changed, in a
  moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
  trump," without tasting of death. 1 Cor 1551,
  52. It was as a representative of those who shall
  be thus translated that Elijah, near the close of
  Christ's earthly ministry, was permitted to stand
  with Moses by the side of the Saviour on the
  mount of transfiguration. In these glorified
  ones, the disciples saw in miniature a
  representation of the kingdom of the redeemed. .
  . .

14
Elijah a type of the remnant

• They beheld Jesus clothed with the light of
  heaven they heard the "voice out of the cloud"
  (Luke 935), acknowledging Him as the Son of God
  they saw Moses, representing those who will be
  raised from the dead at the time of the second
  advent and there also stood Elijah, representing
  those who at the close of earth's history will be
  changed from mortal to immortal and be translated
  to heaven without seeing death. (PK 227)

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Moses a type of Christ

• During the idolatry at Mount Sinai
• Moses was a type of Christ. As Israel's
  intercessor veiled his countenance, because the
  people could not endure to look upon its glory,
  so Christ, the divine Mediator, veiled His
  divinity with humanity when He came to earth. Had
  He come clothed with the brightness of heaven, he
  could not have found access to men in their
  sinful state. They could not have endured the
  glory of His presence. Therefore He humbled
  Himself, and was made in the likeness of sinful
  flesh (Rom 83), that He might reach the fallen
  race, and lift them up. (PP 330)

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Moralism

• Another way Ellen White uses Scripture is
  moralism.
• Moralism is weaving moral lessons from events
  that happen to biblical people and applying these
  lessons to the Church today.

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Aaron and idolatry at Sinai

• How often, in our own day, is the love of
  pleasure disguised by a "form of godliness"! A
  religion that permits men, while observing the
  rites of worship, to devote themselves to selfish
  or sensual gratification, is as pleasing to the
  multitudes now as in the days of Israel. And
  there are still pliant Aarons, who, while holding
  positions of authority in the church, will yield
  to the desires of the unconsecrated, and thus
  encourage them in sin. (PP 317)

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Nadab and Abihu

• The story of Nadab and Abihu a few chapters
  later is fraught with moral lessons for Gods
  people (359-362).
• Lack of firmness in their education
• Lack of reverence for God
• Use of alcohol

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Character Sketches

• Given the overarching theme of the great
  controversy in her writings, how people relate to
  God in this controversy between good and evil
  allows her to illustrate how ones life today
  should be lived in order to be victorious or to
  be defeated by the foe. Plenty of character
  sketches illustrate her narratives.
• Among her favorites in the Scriptures Joseph,
  Daniel and the apostle John.

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The greatest want of the world

• The greatest want of the world is the want of
  menmen who will not be bought or sold, men who
  in their inmost souls are true and honest, men
  who do not fear to call sin by its right name,
  men whose conscience is as true to duty as the
  needle to the pole, men who will stand for the
  right though the heavens fall. (Ed 57)

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Biblical analogy and parallelism

• Ellen White draws parallels between various Bible
  stories, events, people, or texts.
• In the chapter Idolatry at Sinai, she draws a
  biblical analogy between Gods judgment of
  idolatry with what is predicted will happen at
  the end of time (PP 326).

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Biblical analogy and parallelism

• Often, Ellen White explained the meaning of a
  story by drawing on many texts of the Bible. In
  connecting together many stories and texts, she
  saw a basic harmony between all of the books of
  the Bible.

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God with us

• In the first chapter of Desire of Ages in which
  she explains the meaning of Jesus first advent,
  Ellen White refers to
• Isa 9, Ps 65, Ps 95, John 6-8, Mal 4, Rom 16,
  John 3, Isa 14, Phil 2-3, Heb 10, Exo 25, John 1,
  Heb 2, 4, Ps 40, Exo 3, John 10, 14, Mat 28, Isa
  53, Heb 7, 11, Zech 9, Eph 2, 3.

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Spiritual Warfare

• Ellen White presents to her readers the behind
  the scenes events, conversations between Christ
  and Satan, or between evil angels, how God
  interprets or reacts to events, etc. This
  approach is closely connected with her
  understanding of the great controversy.

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Spiritual Warfare

• Chapter 29 in Patriarchs and Prophets, Satans
  Enmity Against the Law
• Chapter 79 in Desire of Ages, It Is Finished

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Satans new condition

• Satan stood in amazement at his new condition.
  His happiness was gone. He looked upon the angels
  who, with him, were once so happy, but who had
  been expelled from Heaven with him. Before their
  fall, not a shade of discontent had marred their
  perfect bliss. Now all seemed changed.
  Countenances which had reflected the image of
  their Maker were gloomy and despairing.

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Satans new condition

• Strife, discord, and bitter recrimination, were
  among them. Previous to their rebellion these
  things had been unknown in Heaven. Satan now
  beholds the terrible results of his rebellion. He
  shuddered, and feared to face the future, and to
  contemplate the end of these things. (1SP 28)

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Exegesis

• Although Ellen White was not a trained biblical
  scholar and exegete, she nonetheless interpreted
  Scripture.
• She explained the meaning of words, talked about
  the context and circumstances of the passages,
  referred to other texts to shed light on a
  passage.

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Exegesis

• Books such as Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing
  and Christs Object Lessons are genuine Bible
  commentaries.
• Her use of typologies, moralisms, character
  sketches, and biblical analogies and parallelisms
  are part of exegesis.

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Exegesis of Mat 548

• "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father
  which is in heaven is perfect." Matthew 548.
• The word "therefore" implies a conclusion, an
  inference from what has gone before. Jesus has
  been describing to His hearers the unfailing
  mercy and love of God, and He bids them therefore
  to be perfect. Because your heavenly Father "is
  kind unto the unthankful and to the evil" (Luke
  635), because He has stooped to lift you up,
  therefore, said Jesus, you may become like Him in
  character, and stand without fault in the
  presence of men and angels. (MB 76)

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Emphasis

• The space she devotes to Biblical events and
  persons is not always proportional to the space
  given in the Bible. Her emphasis on certain
  events or persons depends on how she believes
  those events and persons contribute to the
  unfolding of the Great Controversy Theme.
  (Herbert Douglass, Messenger of the Lord, 419)

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Doctrinal Guidance

• Beyond the spiritual and pastoral guidance
  provided by the writings of Ellen White, her
  writings also provide doctrinal guidance
• valid applications of biblical teachings
• interconnectedness of biblical doctrines
• steering Adventists away from errors of
  interpretation

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Doctrinal Guidance

• Ellen White showed doctrinal authority when the
  church was confronted with difficult doctrinal
  issues
• Kelloggs teachings on pantheism
• Ballengers teachings on Christs ministry in the
  heavenly sanctuary
• Centrality of Christs death on Calvary
• Importance of healthful living

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Theological Guidance

• Perhaps more crucial to Adventism is how Ellen
  Whites writings have provided the church with
  theological guidance, with interpretative themes
  and motifs for a proper understanding of Gods
  revelation.
• Major themes
• Great controversy between good and evil
• Love of God for humanity
• Salvation in Jesus
• Second coming of Christ
• Christian living

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Theological Guidance

• Ellen Whites theological themes provide
  Adventism and Christianity with theological
  presuppositions and assumptions (like a pair of
  eye glasses) with which to study Scripture and
  understand its meaning for our lives today as we
  wait for Christs second coming.

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Themes in the Writings of Ellen White

• In his book Meeting Ellen White, George Knight
  discusses seven themes in her writings (pp.
  109-127)

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Themes in the Writings of Ellen White

• While Ellen White was not a theologian, per se,
  her writings present many theological themes and
  ideas which expand on the biblical stories.
• A theme represents an idea or concept that helps
  us understand her writings, her theology and her
  burden for the church.

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Themes in the Writings of Ellen White

• Themes integrate various strands of Ellen Whites
  thinking into a unified network of concepts.
• They provide an interpretative framework for not
  only single documents or books, but for entire
  sectors of her writings (such as health,
  education, family living).

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Themes in the Writings of Ellen White

• Love of God
• Great Controversy
• Jesus, the Cross, and Salvation
• Centrality of the Bible
• Second Coming of Jesus
• Third Angels Message and Adventist Mission
• Practical Christianity and Character Development

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Love of God
Perhaps the central and most comprehensive theme
of the writings of Ellen White is that of the
love of God. This is a theme that she repeatedly
mentions and discusses in her books.
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Love of God
The phrase God is love appears as the first
three words of Patriarchs and Prophets and the
last three words of The Great Controversy.
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Love of God
In Ellen Whites writings, Gods love is the
central point of the great struggle between good
and evil. God is love is the phrase that
provides the context for her telling of the great
controversy story.
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Love of God
The first chapter of Steps to Christ begins with
the words Nature and revelation alike testify
of Gods love.
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Love of God
The world, though fallen, is not all sorrow and
misery. In nature itself are messages of hope and
comfort. There are flowers upon the thistles, and
the thorns are covered with roses. God is love
is written upon every opening bud, upon every
spire of springing grass. (Steps to Christ, pp.
9-10)
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Love of God
Yet, Ellen White points out, that the things of
nature in a world of sin but imperfectly
represent His love. The supreme and clearest
illustration of Gods love for us is God sending
Jesus to save us from our sins (SC 10-13).
46
Love of God
In the first chapter of the Desire of Ages she
points out that Jesus came to reveal the light
of Gods love (DA 19).
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Love of God
Both the redeemed and the unfallen beings will
find in the cross of Christ their science and
their song. It will be seen that the glory
shining in the face of Jesus is the glory of
self- sacrificing love. In the light from Calvary
it will be seen that the law of self-renouncing
love is the law of life for earth and heaven
that the love which "seeketh not her own" has its
source in the heart of God and that in the meek
and lowly One is manifested the character of Him
who dwelleth in the light which no man can
approach unto. (DA 19-20)
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Love of God
On the last page of the Desire of Ages, her
conclusion is that through Christ love has
conquered (DA 835).
49
Love of God
The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners
are no more. The entire universe is clean. One
pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the
vast creation. From Him who created all, flow
life and light and gladness, throughout the
realms of illimitable space. From the minutest
atom to the greatest world, all things, animate
and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and
perfect joy, declare that God is love. (GC 678)
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The Great Controversy
The themes of the love of God and the Great
Controversy are closely interconnected. Ellen
White emphasizes repeatedly that the focal point
of the Great Controversy is Satans aim to
misrepresent the loving character of God.
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The Great Controversy
Satan led men to conceive of God as a being
whose chief attribute is stern justice,--one who
is a severe judge, a harsh, exacting creditor. He
pictured the Creator as a being who is watching
with jealous eye to discern the errors and
mistakes of men, that He may visit judgments upon
them. It was to remove this dark shadow, by
revealing to the world the infinite love of God,
that Jesus came to live among men. The Son of
God came from heaven to make manifest the
Father. (Steps to Christ, p. 11)
52
The Great Controversy
Satans aim is also to misrepresent Gods
law. In Ellen Whites thought the character of
God and law of God are not two different elements
but one.
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The Great Controversy
Satan represents Gods law of love as a law of
selfishness. He declares that it is impossible
for us to obey its precepts. (Desire of Ages,
p. 24) From the very beginning of the great
controversy in heaven it has been Satans purpose
to overthrow the law of God. (Great
Controversy, p. 582)
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The Great Controversy
In the great controversy, God fights against this
misrepresentation. The history of the great
conflict between good and evil, from the time it
first began in heaven to the final overthrow of
rebellion and the total eradication of sin, is
also a demonstration of God's unchanging love.
(Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 33)
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The Great Controversy
Gods demonstration of his love in the ongoing
conflict with Satan forms the focus of the
Conflict of the Ages Series. This theme provides
the theological framework that gives direction
and context to the rest of her writings.
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The Great Controversy
The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners
are no more. The entire universe is clean. One
pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the
vast creation. From Him who created all, flow
life and light and gladness, throughout the
realms of illimitable space. From the minutest
atom to the greatest world, all things, animate
and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and
perfect joy, declare that God is love. (The
Great Controversy, p. 678)
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Jesus, the Cross, and Salvation
Gods foremost demonstration of his love in the
great controversy was sending Jesus to redeem
humanity. It was to remove this dark shadow, by
revealing to the world the infinite love of God,
that Jesus came to live among men. (Steps to
Christ, p. 11)
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Jesus, the Cross, and Salvation
Through Christ's redeeming work the government
of God stands justified. The Omnipotent One is
made known as the God of love. Satan's charges
are refuted, and his character unveiled.
(Desire of Ages, p. 26)
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Jesus, the Cross, and Salvation
For Ellen White Jesus was not only the victorious
Redeemer over the forces of evil, he is a very
personal friend to her and the Savior who died on
the cross for each individual human being.
60
Jesus, the Cross, and Salvation
Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might
be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for
our sins, in which He had no share, that we might
be justified by His righteousness, in which we
had no share. He suffered the death which was
ours, that we might receive the life which was
His. With His stripes we are healed. (Desire
of Ages, p. 25)
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Jesus, the Cross, and Salvation
Christ crucified for our sins, Christ risen from
the dead, Christ ascended on high, is the science
of salvation that we are to learn and to teach.
(Testimonies 8287)
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Jesus, the Cross, and Salvation
The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin
is the great truth around which all other truths
cluster. In order to be rightly understood and
appreciated, every truth in the word of God, from
Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the
light that streams from the cross of Calvary. I
present before you the great, grand monument of
mercy and regeneration, salvation and
redemption,--the Son of God uplifted on the
cross. This is to be the foundation of every
discourse given by our ministers. (Gospel
Workers, p. 315)
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The centrality of the Bible
Another important theme in Ellen Whites writings
is the Bible, the written Word of God. In her
first book (1851) she wrote I recommend to you,
dear reader, the Word of God as the rule of your
faith and practice. (Early Writings, p. 78)
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The centrality of the Bible
In His word, God has committed to men the
knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy
Scriptures are to be accepted as an
authoritative, infallible revelation of His will.
They are the standard of character, the revealer
of doctrines, and the test of experience. Every
scripture inspired of God is also profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction which is in righteousness that the
man of God may be complete, furnished completely
unto every good work. (Great Controversy, p.
vii)
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The centrality of the Bible
Search the Scriptures carefully to see what is
true. . . . The truth can lose nothing by close
investigation. Let the Word of God speak for
itself, let it be its own interpreter. Our
people, individually, must understand Bible truth
more thoroughly, for they certainly will be
called before councils they will be criticized
by keen and critical minds. It is one thing to
give assent to the truth, and another thing,
through close examination as Bible students, to
know what is truth.
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The centrality of the Bible
Many, many will be lost because they have not
studied their Bibles upon their knees, with
earnest prayer to God that the entrance of the
Word of God might give light to their
understanding. . . . The Word of God is the great
detector of error to it we believe everything
must be brought. The Bible must be our standard
for every doctrine and practice. . . .
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The centrality of the Bible
We are to receive no ones opinion without
comparing it with the Scriptures. Here is divine
authority, which is supreme in matters of faith.
It is the word of the living God that is to
decide all controversies. (1888 Materials, pp.
38-40, 44, 45 written August 5, 1888 to
Brethren Who Shall Assemble in General
Conference)
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• This presentation is available on my website at
• www.andrews.edu/fortind
• Click on GSEM534