The Ellen G. White Estate recently had a small segment on Adventist News Network, explaining how inspiration works. Sadly, it was the standard line we have heard for many years - "Thought Inspiration is true, Verbal Inspiration is false". Then supposedly the issue is settled. Problem is, they are using terms developed by humans who have never been inspired - "thought" and "verbal", neither of which is mentioned in the Bible in relation to this issue.
What is most telling, is that they deride the idea that the words were "dictated". Yet, they have zero inspired proof for that position. In contrast, there IS inspired proof for the position that the words were dictated.
Review & Herald 1880-1-22: "The scribes of God wrote as they were dictated by the Holy Spirit, having no control of the work themselves."
1858 Great Controversy: "He who is the father of lies, blinds and deceives the world by sending his angels forth to speak for the apostles, and make it appear that they contradict what they wrote when on earth, which was dictated by the Holy Ghost."
So I made a video about this.
God's people used to say in our Seventh-day Adventist manual that the Bible was "unerring" or "inerrant", but now we have changed that to "infallible", which is quite watered down.
Don't we need ALL the WORDS OF GOD in order to stand thru the Time of Trouble?
Yes, sadly but so correct. God means what He says and says what He means and If His Words are not used and others in place of them, then what He means and says is diluted or destroyed.
A falling away began many yrs. ago and is still going on and increasing in speed and this is an example of where it would be least expected. The enemy we are at war with is far and above all men a slick and well oiled deceiver!
Yes positively God gave to EGW His Words and she gave them to us faithfully! That would be a must or God could not have used her! This is one reason Fannie Bolton was not one EGW could use and trust, she thought to change the Words.
A couple statements of EGW,
"These very strong sermons that cut a man all to pieces are sometimes positively necessary to arouse, alarm, and convict. But unless they bear the especial marks of being dictated by the Spirit of God they do far more injury than they can do good."--3T 507, 508 (1880). {2MCP 521.1}
"God gives more than money to His stewards. Your talent of imparting is a gift. What are you communicating of the gifts of God, in your words, in your tender sympathy? . . . The knowledge of truth is a talent. There are many souls in darkness that might be enlightened by true, faithful words from you. There are hearts that are hungering for sympathy, perishing away from God. Your sympathy may help them. The Lord has need of your words, dictated by His Holy Spirit". . . . {OFC 140.2}
She would only be dictated by God,
"I was invited to speak the next Sabbath in the tabernacle, but afterwards--because the impressions were so strong that I had changed--I think the brother felt a little sorry he had asked me. Two elders visited me on Sabbath morning, and I was asked by one what I was going to speak upon. I said, "Brethren, you leave that matter with the Lord and Sister White, for neither the Lord nor Sister White will need to be dictated to by the brethren as to what subject she will bring before them. I am at home in Battle Creek, on the ground we have broken through the strength of God, and we ask not permission to take the desk in the tabernacle. I take it as my rightful position accorded me of God. But there is Brother Jones, who cannot feel as I do, and who will wait an invitation from you. You should do your duty in regard to this matter and open the way before him." {1888 355.2}
The commentaries and theology of men is worthless, receive His Spirit of truth and go to His Holy Word of Truth and regard All His Words. Standing on the solid ground and not on sinking sand. Sister Whites writings are not the commentaries of men, instead she wrote His Words to us!
1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
But, I've also seen no quoted texts in some books like the originals that say... I was shown or my attending angel said.... I just wish they would have left all the words intact just as she wrote them.
The revelation of Christ to John is a wonderful, dignified, exalted, solemn message. To present this message with decided emphasis, demands all the talents of capabilities that God has given to men. When John received it, He was worked [upon] by the Holy Spirit, for Christ Himself came from heaven and told him what to write. {UL 310.5} {18MR 37.1}
********************
The American mail goes tomorrow, and I have much to write. Have written 17 pages since 3:00 a.m., prepared for the mail which leaves Cooranbong at 9:00 a.m. As soon as I take my pen in my hand I am not in darkness as to what to write. It is as plain and clear as a voice speaking to me, "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go." "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct (make plain) thy paths." We are to trust the Lord with all our heart. We have proved the Lord. We have the sure word on which we shall rely. Christ assures us, "I am the light of the world: He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" [John 8:12]. "When thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light." Praise the Lord, I have verified His promise. Since I was a youth 11 years old, I have believed the promise. I will cast my helpless soul upon the One who has bought me with the price of His own blood.--Ms 89, 1900, pp. 1, 2. (Diary, Jan. 1900.) Released Nov. 1, 1960. {2MR 169.2}
************************************
On another SDA forum I defended the concept that :
God wrote with His own finger:
God said it - told what to write - and prophets copied down - were quoting - what God and holy angels said:
The Holy Ghost moved the minds of Bible writers - gave them words in human language :
Father God spoke through His voice, The Holy Ghost spoke, Pre Incarnate Christ spoke, Jesus in the nature of the seed of Abraham - spoke :
All these things fulfilled Scripture -
Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Deuteronomy 4:33 Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?
Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
Matthew 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
Mark 9:7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
Luke 9:35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
(pre-incarnate Christ )
Numbers 12:
4 ¶ And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.
5 And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.
6 And he said, Hear now my words: 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.
7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
NT red letter = all words of Incarnate Jesus.
****************************************
I was challenged , rebuffed, fussed at, but I defended the position of multiple ways God communicates in Scripture - using Scripture & SOP to defend that position.
Unfortunately I did not save my posts as word processor files, and the forum server when crashing - lost lots of that forum, that included.
Inspiration ( God communicating to humanity ) is bigger, deeper, broader, more detailed than we give God credit for.
I trust at this forum I will not be so blatantly fussed at and with, but rather treated in a Berean manner of mutual study.
I was finishing up posting elsewhere and in my mind the sudden unplanned urging to come here and read.
